Dark Side of The Moon
by zoloto
Summary: In the aftermath of a great tragedy, the newly-risen Snatcher makes a startling discovery in the snow on his way to confront his dangerous ex — a survivor. The tiny girl has skeletons in her closet, though, and she isn't even old enough to realize it yet. Taking care of her is his only option. But can the Snatcher both raise a headstrong child AND protect her from the awful truth?
1. Chapter 1 - Dying ain't So Bad

The silence, much like the fog that drifted in so soon after The Destruction, was unending.

Unsettling.

Isolated from the rest of the world beyond the woods, what little that now remained of the tiny wooded kingdom lay demolished and in ruin. It's rulers disappeared, and subjects having bore the brunt of a crucial misunderstanding. Where lush, vibrant vegetation once knew no end, lifeless bodies now lay strewn about upon numbing snow. A frosty wind whistled through the area, the only noise for miles now that the once joyful mirth that ran rampant throughout the kingdom had fallen mute. Some of the villagers even ended up frozen in place, cursed by arcane, unmelting ice. Arms outstretched, shielding themselves from the killing cold. Like the aftermath of a war zone.

And maybe it was; nobody knew for sure, why things had turned out this way. The only clue anyone had before things went horribly wrong was a distinct shift in atmosphere. A crisp, breezy day in early January visited by a chilly drop in temperature.

That was their forewarning. The next time something major occurred, several weeks later, a cruel, bitter winter spread over the land. Hostile. And with it's icy frigidity as the townspeople's only greeting, the abundant vitality and merriment of the small province was snuffed out in a matter of minutes.

In less than half an hour, silence overcame all.

Not too much longer after that, the second stage of this cursed winter began to take effect all over the place.

From frozen bodies, writhing, wriggling souls burst forth. Some red, blue, others green, many spirits begin popping up to start in on their afterlives. And they were greeted by none other than the first one to arrive — a mysterious, ominous being that came from somewhere else in their time of need. To give the resurrected purpose, new beginnings, and a place to call home after the devastation.

This being that would come to be known as the forest's resident evil spirit.

"_**Oh, would you LOOK at that,"**_ a faux-concerned tone slipped forth, as the recently unelected king of the newly-christened Subcon Forest took in his soon-to-be subjects. "_**You know, I REALLY can't have a bunch of unproductive, good-for-nothing wormy things floating around here NOT doing anything— and that now brings me to this question. What the HELL am I supposed to do with you...?"**_

The ghost examined his quivering, silent dwellers with narrowed gaze - surely he could find a way to make them useful! His new followers would need to be able to do things beyond their newfound limitations, if they wanted to exceed their king's expectations.

What made it tricky was their lack of limbs. He didn't know what kind of spirits these were, so he had to stop and really think about this! They were small and noodle-esque; like him, they hovered in the air silently. It wasn't as though they could just re-grow the human appendages they had in life!

Wait a minute...

The specter paused for a brief moment. Gold eyes roving over the pathetic batch of subjects given to him in such a time. Limbless wraiths owning nothing but animal masks with chipped paint to betray any sort of personality— could he provide them with the tools they needed to begin anew? Quite possibly. He did not yet know the capacity of his own new abilities, nor the limitations. He would need to test a few things out here. But in the meantime...

"_**Look, at the VERY least I can ensure that you have a place to stay alongside me. I can be there WITH you to resolve any damages that the Ice Princess caused our land and yourselves. You only JUST materialized out of…" **_Nonchalant, a hand waved in the direction of the empty husks – _their_ husks – spread around the area. "_**Er, out of your mortal states, correct?"**_

The dwellers could only look around at the carnage that had yet to be cleared away. It was only five seconds later that he realized his error in asking that question. In hindsight, the bigger ghost knew it probably wasn't the most conscientious way to draw attention to their current situation, let alone convince the smaller spirits to join him. However, there was little he himself could do to rectify it.

This phantom knew more than anyone there the truly terrifying extent that this winter had affected everyone, and everything around them.

So, a different approach would probably be best. In an ironic echo of one of his last living thoughts before, well, before _this_, the tall ghost flicked his ectoplasmic wrist. As he'd imagined and silently asked for, the all-too-familiar, yellowed paper rolled out of his thoughts and into existence. A feather quill was soon to follow, floating idly next to the otherworldly contract.

"_**Sign your afterlives away, and I'll begin preparations for our little tabula rasa. Starting with upgrading you - you'll be my right-hand-minions, of course! The spirits that suffer together retake the forest together, AM I RIGHT?! And don't even THINK about trying to hustle me with this— you can't just get something for nothing, you know!"**_

Booming laughter, the first of many more to come, filled the silence. And with this new development, _his newfound happiness_, blue flames flared to life behind the specter's form. Writhing and dancing, they cocooned him in their light, but did not burn. The apparent presence of pyrokinesis with this new form puzzled the spirit at first, but the irony struck him when he took his own circumstances into consideration. The typical counterpart to ice was _fire_. It seemed only fitting in this way that Vanessa's stinging ice was appropriately combated with azure, eldritch flames.

Without much of a choice, and with their inner yearning for a fresh start after The Destruction taking control, dwellers gathered 'round to sign up for a chance to reclaim a sense of order after a traumatic event. Some elected to remain as they were, worm-like and voiceless. But much to the spirit's growing pleasure, they didn't seem too keen on leaving the forest, either. Perhaps it meant that they still hoped to remain somewhere they could feel safe. And that, even if they DIDN'T sign the contract, gave him a sense of power.

They remained. The first members of his arsenal, congregating in the space to come together as a united front. The first pieces of what he privately called "Era Two" were beginning to fall into place.

The ghost - now more commonly known as the Snatcher - smiled.


	2. Chapter 2 - No One is Alone

"BOSS! Boss? _BOOOOOOSSS!_"

Snatcher huffed at being interrupted whilst finishing up renovations for his own living space within a hollowed-out tree. But he turned around to address the black-cloaked minion running to relay their news. When he'd TAKEN this job, he hadn't expected the surge of ridiculousness that came with handling an army of sack-dolls filled with the spirits of his kingdom's previous residents. From what he could tell, thankfully they didn't seem to remember life before he began to control them. They didn't whine and moan about their previous troubles in this state. However, that also meant their minds (or what was left of them) were reduced to the most basic of intelligence. A lot of trial and error in crafting the revamped and renamed 'Subcon Village' ensued. But whether that was a good thing or not in this situation, he didn't know.

He would just have to work with what he had. And see what his minion was calling him for.

"_**What?"**_ He asked frostily, not bothering to mask irritation.

"There's something making noise—"

"_**Lots of things in a forest make noise, how many times do I need to explain this?" **_the Snatcher replied curtly. "_**If you're to expect me to CARE about whatever-it-is that's got you this wound up, you're going to have to be SPECIFIC!"**_

"I know, but it's… It's coming from HER side, Boss. Across the bridge."

Like a switch had been hit, any surrounding minions who were in the area to hear this one's announcement stopped what they were doing to stare at their fearless leader. Snatcher froze in place at the mention of his former beloved. The Ice Queen, she who was responsible for this turn of events in the first place? And she was causing a disturbance on her side of the woods?! Undoubtedly she was planning a follow-up attack. And the knowledge he now had of her returning presence was enough to make the Snatcher bristle considerably, throwing up his spectral hands in frustration and floating down from his tree.

"_**Oh, for the love of… Fiiiine! She wants to play hardball, then fine! I'll bite back! Hold onto your sorry butts, everyone, this isn't going to be pretty if we can't get the drop on her!"**_

Fuming, the Snatcher headed off to the bridge that separated his half of the region from Vanessa's frozen wasteland. Crossing it with ease, a faint howling in the distance breached his hearing. There it was… The monster herself! It had to be her! Or maybe something she had crafted and was sending to terrorize him and his minions! He certainly wouldn't have put it past her to pull a stunt like that, that was for sure. Snatcher was preparing himself for any kind of scenario he could hope to expect from Vanessa as he wound through the maze of ice crystals that shielded her manor from his sector. Deeper into the chill he went, and even though he no longer needed to worry about frostbite, the cold pierced through to his cold, dead heart. Further fanning the flames of his detestation the closer he got to her.

"_**All right you frothy, droning menace, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?!"**_ Snatcher snarled, coming face to face with a courtyard of cadavers littered all over the place. At least he had been kind enough to his minions to _dump_ their bodies in what was readily coming to be a swamp day after day, so nobody had to look at them. Vanessa on the other hand didn't seem to care who saw what when they entered her frosty domain.

It was a painful, morbid sight that made his nonexistent stomach turn over with disgust for the woman who lived there. How sickeningly she had carelessly tossed bodies left and right, like a lazy child who couldn't be bothered to clean up her toys. Made him wonder further what he'd ever seen in her in the first place, when the Snatcher realized something else.

Aside from the bodies, nobody else was in sight. Not Vanessa, not some crude homunculus she could have fashioned to send his way…. Nothing.

With this lack of attack, Snatcher paused his assault. Looking around in curiosity as an eerily calm, light snow fell from overhead. Whatever had made the noise seemed to have stopped— could his minion have been mistaken? He'd been just about to leave, turning and making an exit through the gate, when he was halted where he stood by another shrill scream.

A second wailing, shrieking noise broke the silence. Much closer this time than the last. And because of that, it was easier for him to discern just _what_ could have been making it in the first place. Frozen in place, Snatcher slowly turned back to the front yard and looked around. That sound… He didn't necessarily want to go poking through dead bodies in search of what he feared it to be, but the frozen temperatures could make things worse if he didn't make his choice now.

No. No more retreating, no more resignation. If it was what he suspected it was, there would be further innocent blood on his hands. Another soul he could not protect from Her piercing, icy fury. The Snatcher hovered through the front yard, a spirit on a mission. His golden eyes scanned the area. He looked over bodies and shrapnel until finally, a third noise bubbled forth. This time it didn't stop after a few moments, allowing Snatcher to come face-to-face with the squirming, fussing culprit that lay in the snow.

A baby. Bundled up in dark purple blankets, whimpering and making its presence known the only way it knew how, crying and causing a ruckus.

Snatcher raised an eyebrow. He leaned down, closer to the tiny human, and with a gentleness he hadn't exhibited since before he'd died, gathered the child into his arms to check the damage.

From the looks of her current condition, she'd only recently ended up in this dump. Child abandonment itself didn't surprise him. But why here….? What thoughtless parent came to a frozen BURIAL GROUND to discard their month-old baby unless they'd intended to harm her? The Snatcher sighed, narrowing his gaze, and turned over the blanket so he could see her face better.

But when the light caught her lively, teary blue eyes, his heart dropped.

_He knew her._ Snatcher KNEW this girl. Or rather, he'd known her parents before they'd been lost to this winter's curse. He'd only met the little girl once. It was during one of his visits home, a little before his death. She was the child of a couple caught up in a blissful, enchanted love. One that they'd thought could withstand the test of time…. And as he now knew, they, like their plans for a happily-ever-after, were no more than shells of their former selves.

But she'd survived. Throughout ALL of the chaos that had warped his domain beyond recognition, this child had overcome all the odds stacked against her and LIVED. Just how she had managed to was no longer important; Snatcher knew the only thing left to do was remove the girl from the mess. His undead heart urged him further— _this was right_.

At least he could do SOMETHING right by keeping this one safe.

His mind was made up. He would take her back to his village, and keep her as FAR AWAY from Vanessa and her ice-zone as possible. He made his leave for the second time, with a new charge set to join his ranks in tow. He didn't look back, holding her close to his chest to shield her small body from the bitter cold.

But as he exited the yard and made his way through the ice maze near the beginning, Snatcher was briefly reminded of a flower he'd read about years ago. He'd long forgotten the name of it, but in life he had learned about how the small, purple flower grew and thrived on it's own in the frozen tundra.

Against frozen death that aimed to destroy any and all life in its path, the little flower bloomed in defiance. _Just like her._

The Snatcher pulled the blanket tighter around her as they neared his village, and noted the expensive indigo fabric used to swaddle her. He knew indigo well, having previously lived in luxury, so that made it doubly strange that she'd been so carelessly tossed out like this. This particular shade of purple was the color of royalty. But it was fitting, in a way, for a ward of the former prince to be secured in such a fine cashmere blanket. And the more he thought of it, the longer he looked over the little girl he cradled, the more it sounded right.

_Cashmere…_ The Snatcher's thoughts drifted as he noted the soft breathing of the now-sleeping girl he held. _Her name is Cashmere._

"_**I'll tell you this much,"**_ the ghost mused softly as he re-entered his turf with the newbie. To the surprise and utter shock of his minions at his findings.

"_**You couldn't have picked a WORSE time to be born, kid."**_


	3. Chapter 3 - People Like Us

Ten years had passed since The Destruction. With Her wrath having rained down upon them all, the Snatcher, his minions, the dwellers, and everything in between that lived in Subcon Forest had been given an ample amount of time to come to terms with their current circumstances.

The end of the line had been inescapable, but their afterlife had only just begun.

With the team-like camaraderie they shared and the involvement of everyone, the Snatcher had managed to restore the greater part of the forest to be a suitable space for them to exist and re-build his kingdom from the ground up. Not completely, as there were still traces of _Her_ ice around in places, and the buildings remained in permanent disrepair. But it was enough. They all voted yes to leave them as-is; spirits didn't need to worry about the boundaries of walls, after all. But at least the place was cleaned up and cleared of debris.

Plus, the dilapidated structures added a kind of 'derelict charm' to the area. Everyone who resided there seemed to think so.

It was here that boredom set in, now that preparation was complete. And when boredom took over, the former prince had started contracting unsuspecting trespassers to his forest, much like he'd done with the dwellers initially. The routine worked. Anyone lucky enough to escape from Subcon unscathed lived to spread the tale of the Snatcher, a malevolent, soul-stealing entity who made his living trapping unsuspecting people and forcing them to do his bidding. It had taken a dark turn from what he anticipated originally, but he _liked_ it. The reputation of King-Savior had not been enough. He'd been a benevolent ruler in life, always doing the best for everyone before himself, and look where kindness and compassion brought him.

The more he watched living beings pass through his domain, the more resentful his heart became. How they still retained their lives, and had things that made them happy. It wasn't fair anymore. He had put in a LOT of time and effort into making the forest habitable once again, shouldn't he be allowed to set the ground rules regarding outsiders? Shouldn't HE be the one who lays down the law when uppity humans think they can just wander on through the woods without consequence?

Putting them to work doing chores around Subcon certainly sufficed as repayment. At least HE thought so. So what if most of them didn't live to see the morning light after doing what he asked? There were signs all over the place that warned foolish travelers against traipsing through the area all willy-nilly, and yet people paid them no heed. They had only themselves to blame for their ignorance. And once they paid the price for their indiscretions, well… the Snatcher truly began to live up to his name.

He'd been around long enough now to have found his new source of happiness: taking it away from other people.

* * *

On one such dismal day, he'd _just_ finished up with one contractor. One of those… Mafia men, as he'd started to know them. Into his pocket dimension went the resulting soul, and the Snatcher sighed serenely as the oafish screaming ceased. As much as it truly made him happy that so many had been imprudent to the effect their trespassing might cause, their recurring stupidity regarding their arrangement (and their fruitless begging for their lives) astounded Snatcher endlessly.

With this business done until the next poor soul wandered by, the tall ghost made his way over to the tree house he had built his human ward, Cashmere, seven years prior. To this day, she was the only one of his minions who had a brain. And after the Mafia nonsense, Snatcher supposed, visiting with the human girl he'd indoctrinated into his ranks and assigning her selected tasks for the day would be a more relaxing errand.

After he met with Cashmere and talked with her, he could devote the next several hours to himself. Simple as that.

The undead minions took some time to get things going, but Cashmere was different. She always HAD been, with her quick wit, diligent work ethic, and natural affinity for parkour. The baby he'd found in Vanessa's yard had fought for life when he'd rescued her, and she KEPT fighting as the days passed. Fought to enjoy the life she'd been given despite her harsh beginnings. She fought to please her guardian, too; to keep her spot on their team, and to do well in his eyes when the opportunity presented itself.

Her goal was invaluability. He'd taken her in and raised her when she was little more than a helpless, crying newborn. In return, the girl paid that act of kindness forward day after day by flourishing. She worked hard at the tasks she was given, and practiced every skill she learned along the way until she was satisfied with the result.

It was no secret among his other minions that Cashmere was the Snatcher's favorite, and for good reason.

"_**Cashmeeeere~"**_ The devil himself crooned softly once he'd reached the tree house, hoping to wake her if she still slept. "_**Are you up and about, child? I have a few things on the agenda I'd like you to do!"**_

Just to make sure, he peeked one large eye through the window on her door. Her bed was in the corner covered by a small wall, so he couldn't readily see her unless he changed angles.

So he did. There was a curtain in the way, but if he could just finagle a finger in the window to push it aside—

"_**Cashmere–? Are you still asleep? You know how I feel about sleeping in! Don't make me change form to come in there! I'll wake you up myself!"**_

For the next several moments, Subcon Forest was at peace. The mood probably would have stayed in that state of calm had the Snatcher NOT been able to take that fateful peek inside his charge's bedroom.

"_**WHERE IS SHE?!"**_

* * *

**Hello, guys! Zoloto here! kind of a slower, establishing setting-chapter this time around, but I PROMISE it won't be this wordy vs. actual progressive action moving forward. I plan to update every thursday, and hopefully if I get enough progress going on future chapters (I have the next two written up already), I'll be able to add in another day per week so that I can post TWICE a week if people end up liking it.**

**Now, onto the comments!**

**Mad King C - Thank you for your kind words for these past two chapters! Ohoho, just wait tho!:D Snatcher** **will be the meanie we all know and love, no worries. This is placed in a weird timeline, closer to his death. Plus I feel like he's always treated his direct minions with more respect than his contractors, so we're gonna see very many sides to Noodle Boi here.**

**Mr. Mega1423 - Okay I kind of fangirled when I saw your comment, not going to lie! I love your story so I appreciate your taking the time to read mine and review it when it's still in it's baby stage. So I THANK YOU FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT! **

**That's all I have for now, but I thank everyone who comes along on this story with me, and I will see you next week!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Edges of The World

On the other side of the forest, nearer to the outskirts of Subcon where the sunlight was easier to see, a small, hooded figure darted and scampered through the wooded greenery. Skipping to and fro, beaming and carefree, any passing bystander might think a small child seemingly without a care in the world was right where she was supposed to be.

And for the most part, she was.

For as long as she could remember, Subcon Forest had been her home. Cashmere had no memory of existing anywhere else. However, the edge of the woods had been a subject of fascination for the child ever since she'd reached the age where she was able to wander around by herself. But her privilege of free-roaming without hovering supervision was not without it's drawbacks. Since Snatcher had assumed custody of her, she had been given limitations, as with any of his minions.

One of them being what she was currently doing— investigating the edge, right by the wooded entrance.

She hadn't MEANT to meander this far away from where her treehouse room was. Hell, she hadn't even meant to _get out of bed _that early. But Cashmere had woken up in a cold sweat before dawn had broken— not like it made much of a difference light-wise, but she hadn't been able to fall back asleep, either. The girl had supposed that a light walk might be able to tire her out, and she could go back to bed before the rare sunbeams breached the perpetual twilight they were all veiled under.

Unfortunately, the walk hadn't made her sleepy right away like she'd hoped, so she kept going. Not paying attention, just following paths that peaked her interest. Before she knew it, time had gotten away from her in her quest for tiring herself out. And it was this minor insomnia that had her at a crossroads that she was too enraptured to pull herself away from.

Once she'd gotten old enough to be given commands, Snatcher had sat his charge down and laid down a set of ground rules that she was to follow moving forward. They all had varying levels of importance, but most prominent of those rules was the one regarding Cashmere staying within the forest grounds. Leaving the woods for any sort of reason was prohibited, on threat of being given harder, longer work than she was used to.

The way Snatcher saw it? For all his infinite mercy of taking Cashmere in and raising her himself, all he asked for in return was her unquestioning, neverending loyalty. And should she withhold that loyalty by running off and disobeying his direct orders, he was more than happy to cut her down to size. He'd never kill her, of course, not like the _other_ nosy humans who were idiotic enough to set foot in his domain. But Cashmere was no more exempt from punishment than any of the other minions were. She should just be thankful that her penalties didn't entail extended food deprivation, or being dangled precariously from one of the numerous nooses that littered the forest's tree branches.

* * *

Cashmere's boot-clad feet remained firmly planted in place, but her longing gaze never left the bright stretch of green that started just over the side. Where the crooked trees ended, green, _healthy_ plant life began. And she would be lying to herself if she said what laid beyond her home didn't make her at least the tiniest bit curious. What wonders were just out of her grasp… But despite the urge, she didn't DARE set one toe out of line. Being by herself in the woods was one thing, but being truly _alone_ in them was something else. Cashmere knew from prior attempts years ago that even if it felt like she was doing this secretly, there was always SOME pair of eyes keeping watch from a distance. She'd never been able to glean whether they were looking after the forest's edge or her specifically, as she always passed out and woke up back in Subcon Village without getting a look at whoever grabbed her. But she'd gotten caught all the same. Turning back and returning for morning assignments would be her best bet at this time.

But…. She just _couldn't._ Something held her there, like a hypnotic force only she was under. For this odd trance she was under, Cashmere had stood like a statue for a good several minutes after having crept out for her stroll. What was the matter with her this morning? The girl hadn't woken up _with_ the urge to rebel. Why today? Why NOW?

"Mm… It's not _fair,_" the child whispered to herself, shivering as a light breeze drifted through the forbidden area and blew through her hair. "I know HE can't risk leaving, but why am _I_ supposed to stay in one place all the time? I just don't get it; I could TOTALLY outdo all those other dumb contractors he hires if he'd just let me try! I'm brave, I can handle anything people throw at me! Everyone here knows that! They all come from outside, don't they? What's so scary about the outer region, anyways?"

Cashmere paused in her desirous ramblings, but by then her feet had begun to move once more. The more she thought about and grew frustrated with the rules, the more petulant her footsteps became. Until she was pretty much stomping over to sit on a nearby tree trunk. But her annoyance soon gave way to longing while she brooded over the multitude of reasons she should be allowed to explore further.

"Besides.. My parents have to be out there, right? Somewhere? He hates it when I bring them up, though… It's so— so _dumb! _I'm Snatcher's best minion.. He KNOWS I'd never abandon him. Why is he so set on keeping me here?" Cashmere groaned, rambling in her thoughts.

"_Because nobody else around here has more to lose other than you? Did you EVER think of that?"_ A patronizing second voice chimed in, speaking to the girl as though there was an inside joke she wasn't in on and making her jump at being startled.

"WHA–?!" Cashmere stood, whirling around in her confusion to pinpoint the source of the voice. Unfortunately she couldn't, and the child was left spinning like a trapped creature while her unseen "guest" began to chuckle sardonically at her plight.

"_Pretty little Cashmere… It's been some time since I last saw you around here, hasn't it? Last I encountered you, you could only toddle around and tripped over your own feet! But now look at you~"_

A sudden rush of cold air blew over the back of her neck, like a kiss from an unseen spirit. Cashmere trembled, and hugged herself under the calf-length black cloak she wore. The laughter, having began anew, seemed closer this time around. The girl hid behind the tree stump she'd sat on, burying her face in her knees as though she'd be safely hidden away. '_If I can't see you, you can't see me'_, as the old saying went.

If only that were true.

"_Come now, my dear! I've no ill-will towards you! You should know that by now, we've met often enough!"_

In her mind's eye, Cashmere briefly recalled herself running through the woods when she was little. Much smaller than she was now… following miscellaneous Leaves rustled. From behind her, perhaps fifty feet away. About four seconds passed before she heard the noise again, closer now. Cashmere bit her lip.

"_But that also means that you should know well by now how this ends…."_

A shadow loomed over her hunched form, now. Shaking like a leaf, Cashmere very slowly raised her frightened gaze to meet her 'visitor'. Her eyes widened in recognition at the menacing figure almost IMMEDIATELY. But the shock had barely registered before she was swiftly scooped up into their grabby hands before she could so much as gasp.

Cashmere opened her mouth to scream, but her captor had thought this far ahead. One arm held her in the tightest cradle she'd ever felt in her life with an iron grip, and the other covered her mouth to muffle the noise she'd make. In the end, all she could do was squirm fruitlessly against the strength of the arms that held her.

Well. At least she knew now just who was watching and stalking her whenever she thought she was alone.

It was just a shame she had find out the hard way; by getting into the worst kind of trouble she could, where nobody could hear her scream.


	5. Chapter 5 - Biggest Blame Fool

"PUT ME DOWN! Who do you think you are?! YOU CAN'T JUST YANK ME OUT OF NOWHERE AND—"

The inevitable, approaching-from-behind sound of Cashmere making a fuss at her little scheme being figured out was music to the Snatcher's ears. The closer she was carried, the wider his smug grin got. But at least he was fair enough to wait until her shrieking indignation was right behind him. From there, he turned around and stared his captured little troublemaker in the face with such a dirty look that she paled and shut RIGHT up upon seeing him.

**"**_**Let her go, Moonboy. She knows what'd happen to her if she tried to run off now."**_

He didn't sound happy… Why would he, she'd been caught red-handed! But at least she had a name for the mysterious jester who'd nabbed her and brought her all the way back here.

"_If you say so, Brother~" _Came her captor's smooth voice in reply. "_You should have SEEN the look on her face when she realized she'd been found out! I almost felt bad, poor thing! Looked like she was about to soil her clothes!" _

Thankfully, this 'Moonjumper' gently placed her on the ground before not-so-nicely shoving her forward by the shoulders. Cashmere stumbled with a small yelp, but steadied her trembling knees and straightened herself up to face her guardian properly.

"Uhh- hi! Heheheh.." She stammered, the corners of her own mouth turning up a bit in a nervous smile. "Er, you didn't tell me you had a—"

**"**_**Zip it, Shortstop."**_Snatcher interrupted sharply, his tone devoid of it's usual humor, despite the seemingly easy going smirk he still wore. **"**_**And don't you DARE bootlick your way out of this— it may have worked when you were little, but you're far from off the hook. Not after THIS stunt you just pulled!"**_

Cashmere hung her head, the telltale expression of knowing guilt that she'd done something wrong etched onto her face. He would have felt bad if he didn't already know of her curious streak when she was younger— she was old enough now to know that going that far away from the village was forbidden. Pity for her was out of the question. Snatcher crossed his arms, glaring down at the child and continuing with his scolding.

**"**_**SERIOUSLY! Sneaking off? Not telling me where you were going? And then, as if those weren't bad enough, you went ALL THE WAY to the edge of the woods? You know better than that, Cashmere, what do you have to say for yourself?"**_

Now almost all eyes in Subcon were turned on her. Snatcher's, Moonjumper's, the dwellers… even her fellow minions, who'd all gathered in silence and stayed at a distance to watch Snatcher's little paragon get _reamed out_. Cashmere knew it, too. This was a heavy mark against her reputation as their resident 'good girl'. Knowing that this was the first REAL time she'd gotten in actual trouble with the Snatcher for something was embarrassing.

It was because of this new development that Cashmere stayed silent for what felt like hours. Both in shock, and considerable stage fright at being called out like this. Her face burned at their piercing gazes; this was the worst she'd felt in all ten years she'd been alive. It was _humiliating._

"Okay, can I just say that I didn't LEAVE the forest?" She eventually replied. "All I did was stand near the Dividing Line… I didn't try to get out or anything, why—"

**"**_**YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! DID I NOT EXPLICITLY MARK THE OUTER REGION AS FORBIDDEN, OR ARE YOU AS BLISSFULLY FORGETFUL AS THE OTHERS THAT YOU JUST WALTZED OVER THERE AND HORSED AROUND WITHOUT GIVING A JITT?!"**_The Snatcher roared in fury, leaning over her dangerously as though he meant to strike her down. But Cashmere had gotten braver in the few seconds it took her to defend herself. So she threw her hands up in frustration when he stopped yelling.

"I DIDN'T LEAVE! I couldn't _sleep_, I took a walk to get tired again!" Cashmere snapped, like an angsty teenager getting caught breaking curfew. "It didn't work! I looked over at the outside of the woods! Where's the harm in that?"

A collective gasp was her only response, then silence. Cashmere may have been Snatcher's little leading light, but this was the first time she'd ever raised her voice to him in protest. Even HE was shocked at her outburst— the kid had a spine after all! Were she not currently in trouble, he might have been impressed at her spunk.

But not now.

The Snatcher took a deep breath, shaking his head in disappointment. His gaze narrowed down at her, having previously widened at her yelling back at him. Cashmere herself had shrank back timidly seconds earlier, regretting the words as soon as she'd blurted them out. Both hands covered her mouth in complete _horror _at what she'd just said. She had to explain! _Apologize! _She'd been up before dawn, walked for so long, no wonder she'd gotten cranky and irritable in that time! She didn't mean to—

**"**_**We made a DEAL."**_Snatcher started again in tranquil fury before she could say another word. **"**_**And if you think you're allowed to skate around the fine print at your leisure, then you shouldn't mind me going back on MY word whenever **__**I**__**want, either."**_

Cashmere trembled. She couldn't even look at him, while he flicked his wrist dismissively. A pickaxe materialized overhead before clattering at her feet. The girl balked; all the Snatcher could do was chuckle at her expense.

**"**_**New chores, kiddo!"**_He exclaimed brightly at her confusion. **"**_**Go chip away at all this ice around here until I tell you to stop!"**_

"What?! But that ice never goes away for anything!"

**"**_**Why do you think I'm having you do it now?"**_He sneered back, soaking up her incredulousness like a sponge. **"**_**I know."**_

Cashmere's eyes brimmed with tears. When Snatcher turned away, she grabbed the pickaxe without a choice and tore off to the farthest piece of ice she could find. Away from all of their mocking smiles.

If she looked at anyone as she passed by, though, she'd have seen it was only the Snatcher who was mocking her.

Moonjumper, in awe, hovered over to him as soon as everyone had cleared out and resumed their normal routines.

"_Well… That was unexpected. I didn't anticipate your golden girl to argue with you like that! I thought you'd nipped that rebellious side in the bud!" _

**"**_**I thought I did too, Moonboy,"**_Snatcher sighed in exhaustion. How _dare _the little upstart run off like that and WORRY him, and then have the audacity to backtalk? It was unheard of! **"**_**But who knew she had THAT kind of mouth on her?! I haven't heard anything that insolent since she was five and didn't want to go to bed at night! I HAD to punish her… Didn't I?"**_

The other specter put a hand on his arm with a sigh. "_If you didn't, she probably would have walked all over you. You put your foot down, and she needs to realize that you're doing what you do for her own good… To keep her safe from the you-know-what. Every step she takes towards the outside is one step closer she gets to learning who YOU are. You're keeping her safe because you care about her; she just doesn't realize it yet." _

Snatcher's gaze travelled in the direction she'd run off in. Very faintly could he make out Cashmere's small frame swinging the pickaxe as hard as she could against the cursed ice. He sighed again.

**"**_**I suppose that's one way of putting it…"**_

"_Oh come now, Brother! I've seen the way you look at her!" _Moonjumper countered in amusement. "_Cashmere is the one you had your first contractors retrieve baby stuff for, isn't she? You had them all over the planet on those contracted scavenger hunts to get the stuff you'd need to take care of her because you had no clue how to raise a child!" _

Snatcher stiffened, but he did not dispute the claim.

**"**_**I was doing what I had to do. No more, no less. And look at how she thanks me… Ungrateful little—!"**_

He was her boss. No more, no less. And AS her boss, he had an obligation to make sure she didn't come to any trouble while she worked. Why was it so hard to understand?!

* * *

While the two "brothers" argued over the subject, Cashmere took a small break from the harder labor on the other side of Subcon. She leaned against the ice, catching her breath, and was happy to see a few dwellers coming to float near her even after she'd been royally dragged like that.

"Hey," she greeted them tiredly with a smile. "Nice knowing _you guys _aren't mad at me…"

Dwellers didn't speak audibly. But when Cashmere interacted with them, she heard whispered voices in her head. Small, childlike voices. And it made her feel good knowing she had a secret sort of way to communicate with them when nobody else so much as _tried _to.

_Are you okay…? _

_Really loud… _

_Angry is bad.. _

_Why'd you cry? _The voices spoke, and Cashmere sighed.

"Snatcher doesn't want me even going NEAR the forest's edge, and it's a really dumb rule considering he knows I would never try to leave without at least asking first. At least… I THOUGHT he knows… Wait- maybe that's it!"

Could she have cracked the code? Cashmere certainly thought so. All of this had happened because she had gone off without warning, right? Would he have understood her frustrations if she'd explained them politely? Or at least asked to explore nicely?

The dwellers exchanged painted glances. Cashmere, on the other hand, stood back up and began her work again with a newfound resolution in mind.

"I'm gonna do it," she huffed between swings. "Next time we talk, after I spend the next few days pouting, I'm going to be brave. I'm going to ASK him if I can see the outside, just once. Then I'll never ask for it again. Grovel at his feet, maybe… He can't say no if I play to his ego!" she giggled a bit, before turning back to her silent allies with a smirk. Mischief glittered playfully in those blue eyes; she was back to her old self again! Up to no good!

"But at least now he'll know I want to."


	6. Chapter 6 - Some Enchanted Evening

_Elsewhere, some time later, high above the planet…._

* * *

A small girl with a spaceship, a bright pink bow in her hair, and a young mind chock full of wild hope and imagination was passing by.

Bow's last mission was done. It had ended in pyrrhic victory (with her successfully gathering some mutated time pieces to bring back to her homeworld for observation, albeit at the cost of the planet blowing up), and she was more than ready now to sit back in her cozy captain's chair and hyperjump her ship home. They'd be happy to see her, surely. Those time pieces had been in danger of disappearing with the planet collapsing before she'd gone to collect them. She'd gone knowing how dangerous it would be, and as her training predicted, the girl had located and secured them in a timely manner. This had been her most daring and courageous mission yet, and she'd excelled in her task. Her parents, teachers, and all her friends would be so proud of the progress she'd made, they'd probably erect a statue in her honor! Chronomancers all over her world would tell the tale of the brave Bow who'd risked life and limb to deliver the time pieces to safety!

The daydream of her planet's residents' cheering for her as she arrived back safe and sound was enough to make a small smile creep onto her face.

She was five lightyears away from her own planet; a routine check of the engine room, control module, and other key areas before the jump and she'd be ready. But a heavy banging noise from behind her made the girl jump at being startled.

Peering behind her would reveal a burly, muscled man in a blue suit knocking on a conveniently-placed door-window near the control module. In a quite rude manner, at that— he could see her, but that didn't mean he was entitled to the time she'd be wasting by opening the door to see what he wanted.

Bow breathed out a huffy sigh, a hand lightly rubbing the bridge of her nose, and the petite pilot took her sweet time on the way down. If he wanted to waste HER time with what would undoubtedly be nonsense that wouldn't benefit her in the long run, then she had no qualms about _wasting_ his time in return.

The man laid his hand flat against the glass when she came to inspect him, looking down at the girl dismissively before speaking in a language that she had thankfully learned back at school.

"What is this, flying boat? All boats need to pay toll in Mafia Town! Even in space!"

Bow furrowed her brows. A toll? When she hadn't even STOPPED on the nearby planet for fuel and other necessities? He had no business demanding money from her when she hadn't even utilized any of "Mafia Town's" resources, or even showed any interest in doing so. But with the way he spoke, she guessed this logic would go over his head if she tried to explain her refusal. But her secondary ponderings on just how the mafia man had even gotten out there in the first place were interrupted by five horrible words.

"Mafia come in to collect!"

Followed by his gross, sweaty, disgusting, MEATY hand pulling on the brass handle.

"Oh no, you don't!" Bow snapped sharply as the door gave way slightly. Here she hopped up and grabbed the knob from her end, so as to halt his progression into her ship.

"You can forget me forking over any kind of 'toll'— there's NO planetary law _THAT_ stupid! Get outta here!"

Her tugging was enough to knock the brute off balance, and he began his descent back down to the planet below. "How rude!" His voice from outside scolded her, but Bow jumped back down and turned away from the scene to begin her check through the ship. No more nonsense, now it was time to—

**_CRASH!_**

A flash of blue caught her eye, causing Bow to whirl back around in surprise. His right fist up and body flailing when she turned, the girl very quickly deduced that the man had thought it'd be funny to use her window as a punching bag for her apparent "rudeness". The glass was supposed to be comet-proof though! And here she was, learning far too late that the weakness nobody on her planet could figure out had turned out to be FISTS!

Bow could only stand there in shock as the vacuum of space sucked him right out of her ship. Furthermore, she was helpless to run when she herself got caught in the pull. Now she saw the world spin as she went hurtling further and further away from her ship.

_Wait- I'll just beam myself back up!_ Bow's quick thinking reasoned in her momentary panic. _I've got this covered, I'm fine! Just need to fix the glass, and—_

One look in front of her, though, and Bow's heart sank. Dozens of glittering lights were advancing towards her at lightning speed, and she need only take a close glance at one nearby as it passed her to figure out what they were.

Hourglasses. Time pieces. HER time pieces, and they were floating away down towards the atmosphere of the planet.

Bow reached outstretched hands towards her ship helplessly as the lights inside went out, leaving the vessel in total darkness without anybody to tend to the original damage. With this new development (and quite the indignant huff in response to her rotten luck), her hopes and dreams of planet-wide recognition for her valiant efforts swirled down the drain almost as quickly as she and the time pieces fell from the sky to the land below.

* * *

_Back in Subcon Forest….._

The flashing lights in the sky were what garnered Snatcher's attention to come out of his tree. He didn't sleep anyways, but this was something entirely new. The other residents of the planet didn't launch their fireworks this close to his forest— too much of a risk. So then what?

**_"What the…?"_ **He asked himself as a barrage of the lights came careening down, glowing brighter and brighter as they neared his domain. Snatcher himself quickly retreated back into his tree, just in time for what felt like a booming shockwave to emanate from where he'd been hovering only moments ago. Several more of these booming, earthquakey sensations followed, and he didn't _dare_ go to see what had happened until he knew it had stopped.

But when he did, the sight he was met with surprised him. Almost as surprised as he'd been to find a child in his ex's front yard left to freeze to death.

An intact hourglass floated lazily above the ground where he'd stepped out. As he drew nearer to it, he heard a distinct chiming noise that didn't cease. One of his ghostly hands instinctively reached out so he could touch it, but—

"Snatcher?" A small voice interrupted the moment.

Turning around, he saw Cashmere in her pajamas stumbling over. She'd gotten out of bed?! Wait, no, this meant the noise had woken her up! He hid the hourglass in his pocket dimension as fast as he could, rushing to meet her before she could move any further.

"Mmh, what's going on? There were lights and something exploded.." The little girl murmured, still groggy with sleep.

**_"Cashmere! It's nothing you need to worry about, everything is fine! You shouldn't be out of bed, though. C'mon, you! It's late!"_ **He quickly scooped her up in a cradled grip to take her back, but voices from curious minions gathering outside his tree made her squirm to look over his shoulder.

"Are you sure…? That doesn't look fine to me… Who's all there? What's happening?!"

**_"Nobody, Baby, don't worry about it…"_ **Snatcher mumbled as quietly as he could, nearing her tree house. Shapeshifting small enough to fit inside, the ghost carried his charge through the door and over to her bed. He was careful to be gentle in handling her, though. Any aggression at this time of night would only make a sleepy Cashmere combative and pissed off, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with that AND whatever the hell these glowy things were.

**_"Go back to sleep,"_ **the Snatcher spoke as soothingly as he could, tucking her in. Cashmere yawned, turning to face him. **_"I'll confirm my suspicions myself, you don't need to worry about any of this."_**

"Promise?"

**_"I promise."_ **The ghost grinned in his roguish way, resting a hand on her head. The child smiled sleepily, and she closed her eyes without further argument. Allowing herself to be pulled back into sleep.

Snatcher watched her for a bit more before he left to deal with the problem at hand. He'd have to make sure none of the other minions would have loose enough lips to tell Cashmere about what had happened in the morning. Seeing as these _things_ were not even of this planet, the Snatcher wanted to be the one and only person there who REALLY had any contact with the hourglasses. At least until he knew what they were, or what they were capable of.

They'd come in a manner similar to shooting stars streaking across the night sky. But unlike shooting stars, hourglasses didn't just show up by chance. The Snatcher would solve this mystery by himself. And his minions would just have to learn to deal with it.

No matter how much the secrecy hurt.

* * *

**_Welcome back, guys! Zoloto here with this week's slice!_**

**_As we continue on, I'd like to acknowledge and thank you for the reviews I've been getting as of late!_**

**_Mad King C - you've got that right, on both counts! There IS a reason for the way he kind of tends to elevate her above it all, but that won't be coming into serious play for a while. I gotta keep you guys guessing, y'know?:) also THANK GOODNESS, okay I was a bit worried about the way I wrote him, but if people like it, maybe that's the way to go. Also you're on the right track! Stay tuned!_**

**_Mr. Mega1423 - Thank you for sticking around, as well as for your reviews! It makes me happy to know that people think the way I write is engaging enough to keep going in the story, so the reviews I've been getting have been bringing a smile to my face every time I read them! Must be doing something right, if that's the case!  
_**

**_As always I thank you for coming along with me on this journey with me, and I will see you all next week!🌟_**


	7. Chapter 7 - Close Every Door

"But why not?!"

This day would have been a peaceful, ambient one were it not for the inevitable fussing that came with - _gasp!_ \- Cashmere being told 'no'.

The Snatcher, who had his back turned to her as he went around his abode checking the traps and the cages that hung around Subcon, couldn't help himself to a smug smile. It'd been a few days since the arrival of the mysterious space-glasses, and Snatcher had gathered them all up before dawn had risen in an effort to study them for himself.

Part of this process included simultaneously keeping Cashmere in the dark (no pun intended) as well as making sure he could keep a steady eye on her in some way. But now she was asking him for permission to go and explore the planet, as she'd just pitched to him a pitiful plan for exploration of the outer regions that she had to have come up with independently. And that was a problem for everyone.

**_"I told you. It's dangerous. Aside from the fact that you signed a contract-"_ **true to form, out from his pocket dimension the Snatcher slid a gold, curved piece of paper with the girl's scrawled signature on the bottom. Cashmere wilted. **_"-that EXPLICITLY states that you agree to never set foot out there, you're out of my jurisdiction. If something were to happen to you out there, I wouldn't be able to protect you. And as much as I consider your unusual strength a viable means of defense, I would rather NOT run the risk of you coming to any trouble that isn't caused by me and me alone. Get the picture, kid?"_**

From here, once his tasks were done, the ghost slid into his comfy chair while his charge huffed behind him and tugged on the long-sleeved purple shirt she wore under the black cloak. Over black leggings and just-as-dark boots, she looked as cute as a subconite could look. At first glance one would probably think she was cold, with the way she fidgeted and fussed. But the Snatcher had enchanted her clothes himself so that she'd always be kept warm without needing additional garments. He knew there was more going on here.

Cashmere, meanwhile, took a solid stance at his tail and stomped her booted foot. "Snatcher, I was three years old when I signed that! I don't remember it saying anything about not being able to-"

**"Shhhh!" **He interrupted, and waved the contract over her with one hand before handing it to her. The other hand he used to teasingly pinch at her cheek while he spoke in a faux-sweet voice. **"Why don't you take a closer look at the fine print, kid?"**

Cashmere's eyes scanned over the wording, taking in all of what was written, as well as her earliest signature. _Stay here and be of help for eternity,_ the top of the contract read. The specifics were as follows:

_\- Be as good of a minion as you can be!_

_\- Be there at my beck and call, in a timely manner!_

_\- Obey every word I say without question!_

The last one, which Cashmere read while swallowing a lump in her throat, was in bold.

_**-** **Do not ****ever****, under any circumstances, so much as THINK of leaving Subcon Forest while under my authority.**_

Cashmere refused to indulge the Snatcher, or his smug smirk. The girl instead crossed her arms, wondering how the hell she didn't remember agreeing to the glaring words on that paper. "But, I…." She stammered, the previous fire in her belly burned out by written defeat. Her guardian's grin grew wider.

**"Even if you WEREN'T one of my minions, why would you ever think I'd consider letting you leave? I need the strength that comes with having a living slave, kid, do the math!" **He chortled, one of his taunting, booming laughs coming out to further cement his rubbing it in her face. Cashmere narrowed her eyes, hopelessness giving way to frustration as the Snatcher turned his gaze to his book.

"Well, okay, but think of it like this!" The child spent the next few minutes fuming in place, but the wheels in her head were starting to turn once more. "I know the contract said I shouldn't 'so much as think'. By that wording, wouldn't it be possible for me to argue that the contract says not to THINK about it? You should be more literal in what you say if you want me to do a specific thing or not, yes?"

Snatcher frowned, but he did not address her verbally. She was trying to make a loophole using what he considers the most stupid defense in all his ten years of enslaving people. Cashmere had never exhibited this kind of reasoning before in her life— and her further analysis and rebuttal of the contract reminded him of something he'd much rather keep buried.

She sounded like a lawyer, the way she argued. An amateur one was putting it nicely, but she reminded him of himself at a younger age.

It wasn't a feeling of nostalgia he was in the mood to experience.

"Um, Snatcher?" Cashmere tried to regain his attention. It went without success. "Snatcher. Hey Snatcher. I'm still talking to you. Snatcher. Snatcher, hey! You never answered me!"

The ghost ignored her still. Huffing in response, Cashmere hopped up the side of the chair, pulling herself to lay sideways over his lap. "Snatcher, pleeeeease—"

**"You want to know the quickest way to remove someone from your lap? Tickling." **The Snatcher deadpanned. But Cashmere didn't move.

"C'moooon, please! I only wish to see the world once, just so I don't ever have to worry about it again! I just want to _know_… If I were able to take a look one time, I'd never need to do it again! Please? _Please?!_"

Snatcher turned a page wordlessly. Cashmere narrowed her gaze, sitting up in his lap and fussily grabbing onto his spectral wrist to tug at it. "Snatcher!" The girl snapped. "Snatcher! SNATCHER! Snatcher! Snaaaaaatcher! SNATCHER! Are you kidding me?!"

She stood up, increasing the force of her yanks, but she didn't notice that his other hand had crept behind her until she'd been grabbed and held in his grip. Cashmere gasped. Snatcher grinned wickedly. And true to his previous warning, he made quite good on his threat as girlish, high-pitched laughter echoed throughout Subcon. Her mirth was so pleading and frantic that even other minions from all over had turned to see what all the fuss was about. But all they could see was their boss teaching their fellow minion a lesson through some ticklish torment while she lay trapped and squirming on his lap.

"Okay! Okay! _OKAYOKAYOKAY!_ Okay! I give, pleeeease! Lemme go!" Cashmere begged through gasps and giggles, and the Snatcher relented after a few more moments.

It took her some time to catch her breath, but when she did, she hugged herself sheepishly, still curled up on his lap with a teeny smile on her face. Then he spoke up. **"I get it, I know you think I'm being unfair on this. But I want you to tell me something, Cashmere. What's the difference between you and my other minions?"**

The girl turned, surveying her home and all who lived in it. After a while she clutched at her arm, a puzzled look coming to rest on her face. "Ummm…. They're all.. Magical?"

**"You're getting warmer."**

"What, then?"

**"Think about it. Look at yourself, and look at them."**

Cashmere did just that. Their hooded garb, their single, pale yellow cyclops-esque eyes. Their lack of features…

**"Have you ever heard anything but voices rattling around when you're near them, kid?"**

"I dunno. Why?"

**"Why do you think? They don't have hearts. They're souls in bags. They aren't ****alive****."**

"And what?"

Snatcher put his book down. With both of his hands, he scooped the tiny girl up and looked down at her.

**"You've got a soul, but you also have eyes. Skin. Teeth. Brute muscle. A brain, even though you don't always use it."**

This earned him a shove from her tiny hands, but he continued anyways. **"You're not brain-dead, like they are. You have a soul AND a living body working in tandem to keep things interesting around here. I got to you before you turned out like they did— why would I want to risk the Spark I so admire, everything that makes you a worthy and exciting presence, being taken away from both of us?"**

Cashmere paused. Rested her head on her hand. She'd never really thought of it like that before, but now that she was…. All she could do was shrug. "I guess you have a point.."

**"As much as I don't tend to express social niceties, I think you and I have a decent thing going on around here! And I'd rather not risk losing it if I have the chance to keep you safe!"**

Cashmere's pleased smile had returned, but the minute things started to get sappy, the Snatcher placed her down on the floor in front of him. **"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't read too much into it, kid! Get on with your chores— what'd I have you doing? Oh, mail delivery! Go on, now!"**

And off she went, snickering in amusement at his attitude while Snatcher settled back in his seat.

_She can't know…_ a raspy voice whispered in his head. _If she knows, she'll leave for good._

Snatcher winced. But it kept on.

_If she finds out about the Destruction, or the role she played in it, she'll never look at you the same way again._

_The last thing that ties you to your kingdom will be gone forever._

_Her trust will be shattered._

_The home you've made will crumble._

_You'll lose your only—_

Reflexively, his arms shot forth, smacking himself solidly in the face with his book. It was the only thing he could do to silence the nasty little voice in his head after it went off on one of it's rants.

All Snatcher could do was hope that his "pep talk" did the trick by quelling the desire in her to explore.

Because if his lies wouldn't appeal to her _now_, then he had bigger problems to worry about than some random hourglasses from space.

* * *

**_HELLO THERE, GUYS! Aaaaa, I'm sorry I wasn't able to post on time this week😥 Irl crap has me backed up a day or so and it's got me stressed out like you wouldn't BELIEVE. I can't get into details, but let's just say it's something that you would never guess would happen to you, UNTIL it happens to you. Everything is fine, but I will be posting a smaller, bottle chapter in the morning in addition to this one as an apology for not being on time. You guys deserve better than that from me, and it's not fair. That said, I'll be adding the answers to reviews on the next chapter! Ily guys!_**


	8. Chapter 8 - Step Too Far

From her perch on top of the luminous mushroom, Bow wondered how easy she would be able to regain her time pieces in such a dark place as this.

The forest she'd been directed to by the Conductor to snag an essential prop for his next movie. Some kind of hook she'd need for a special effect she had not yet learned— he'd teach her when she recovered it, the bird had said. Now she just needed to find it…

This forest, as per usual, was not like any others she had previously been in. The plant life was inconsistent, being either dead or alive in varying places, there were ice crystals when it wasn't even below fifty degrees, mystical, colored fire barriers prevented her from exploration of all but seemingly one path, and there were rope nooses strung up through tree branches almost any which way she looked.

Saying that woods like this were creepy was being _nice_ about it.

Biting her lip, Bow hopped off the mushroom and passed by a squigly, red worm-like thing that was just making it's way through the air. There were others like it, as she would soon observe, but they were different. In fact, it would seem this place was lousy with the buggers. Some had masks, the ones that did floated idly in place. The ones that didn't wriggled and squirmed, glowy worms on a mission to parts unknown.

Wherever they were going, she could only hope it would satisfy them.

The girl kept her magenta eyes peeled, and went deeper. She'd already found quite a few time pieces already, and having gone through hell and back to retrieve them was starting to weigh heavily on her body and mind. For starters— who did that red-caped blonde think she was?! All Bow had wanted was a friend, but Mustache Girl had wanted far more. And in the end, her greed for forced change had overrode her desire for a companion to share it with.

Had it hurt Bow to lose a potential ally? Of course. But she kept reminding herself that on a foreign planet, the inhabitants were not guaranteed to be on your side.

Maybe it was just how certain Mustache Girl had been that they could have been close friends even without the time pieces standing in their way that made it hurt so much.

_She's the enemy now…_ Bow told herself, fighting back the lonely aches within her. _She's out to take all the time pieces, and unless you stop her—_

Her forlorn musing was interrupted, though, when the small alien heard something completely out of the ordinary. Something so dissonant to the rest of the rest of the woods that she was questioning whether she had even heard it at all.

A giggle. A tiny voice giggling, somewhere in the distance.

…?

There wasn't anyone in sight, though, meaning that whatever had made the sound had to have carried. A lilting, mysterious voice on the wind and the feeling like you were being watched with every move you made… No WONDER people said this place was haunted!  
Against her better judgement, Bow walked onward. In the direction she'd sworn to have heard it. But true to her newly-reduced trust in her surroundings, she didn't dare cry out while she investigated. It was a surefire way to get oneself killed, especially in a dark, dreary place like this was.

But all she heard now was leaves rustling, or the ambient sounds of campfires. No more little voices. And it was here at this moment that Bow elected to stop chasing shadows and continue searching for her prop. So there she went, following the only available wooded pathway that seemed to be taking her deeper into the gloom.

_"Think fast!"_ Someone behind her cried out shrilly.

Before she could even turn to look, Bow found herself stunned and laying on the ground. A mass-blob of shrouded figures were tearing off down the same path she had been. But they'd none-too-politely knocked her out of their way in order to do so. "Sorry!" The one from before called over their shoulder, but didn't stop running. It only threw it's head back, laughing cavalierly in a sing-song tone as it veered down the path.

Wait.  
The voice—  
It sounded like another kid!

Now, Bow couldn't tell for sure because all the forms in that mass that'd ran past were cloaked in black. But this time she _knew_ she had heard a lighter voice. At least of those figures had to be a child, just like her! And there was only one way to find out whether her theory was correct or not!

"Hey, wait a minute!" It was time to do some investigating. So there Bow ran, fervently after the group, in search of movie props and answers alike. "Come back here! Hold on a second, I just want to talk to you!"

The two separate parties kept up like this for some time. The group several paces ahead, and Bow trailing behind them. They had her outran now by a little more than forty feet, and it seemed unlikely she could readily catch up with them until they either slowed down or stopped all together. But before one or both of those could occur, something entirely different happened.

From all around Bow, a white tarp-like thing had sprung the MOMENT she stepped on it. Her weight, light as the girl was, had triggered a forest trap that now held her suspended who knew how high-up. And while she sat there in shock that she had walked into something like that so easily, that she HADN'T seen it, the voices of the group she'd been chasing began to dwindle almost as fast as her hopes did.

"Don't go…" Bow groaned, her voice trailing off into hopelessness. _"I need your help…"_

All she could do then and there was struggle to get free of the trap.

Even so, it wasn't long until the sound of something else took the place of the mirth she'd heard only moments ago. Trees crashed in the distance. Crows cawed out in protest, their wings beating fast as Bow heard what had to be dozens of birds vacating the area.

Was something… _coming_ for her? Something big, with a taste for little girls?

Bow squirmed harder in the sheet-net. The sensation of unknown company drawing nearer and nearer to her increased. So much so that by the time she managed to break it, she didn't even have to look behind her to tell that something was wrong.

Because from the moment her feet touched back on the soil, the world seemed to fade into an abyss of angry purple clouds, light magenta fire surrounding her, and cracking lightning that lit up the clouds, filling the small space with a menacing aura.  
And the one causing it materialized in front of her only seconds after she found herself trapped.

A towering, demonic being with an eerie smile stood grinning down at her.

**_"AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_** The figure boomed. **_"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!"_**

Bow didn't like the looks of this one bit. But despite her masked alarm, the girl stood solidly in place and remained as neutral as she could in the face of certain destruction as she knew it.

**_"YOU BLEW IT! You totally screwed yourself! Nobody enters my home and leaves in one piece!"_** It continued to mock her, much to her chagrin. _If he was so concerned about me in his forest in the first place,_ Bow asked herself. _Then why rub salt in the wound? Why not just kill me and get it over with—_

**_"Tell you what, though,"_** her questioning was interrupted._ **"Hang on a minute! You get to liiive! That's right! Aren't you lucky?!"**_ The smirking spook asked the befuddled child before him.

Oh, sure. REAL lucky, all right.

Bow sighed heavily.  
This was going to be a much-longer process than she'd anticipated.

* * *

**_Hello, everyone! Long week, no see!  
I don't have much to say about this other than it felt kind of rushed and boring even though it wasn't. It was originally supposed to be a bottle chapter. You may also notice that I had to change my update days to Fridays. This is because of a shift in my schedule that'll be going on for some time, so I hope that's okay with you. With that said, I'm also hoping that the surprise I have in store for you guys will be well worth it👀_**


	9. Satisfied

"Who is she? Do you know her?"

"Nope.. She's been hanging around here for a few days if I recall, but I haven't seen her at all before that."

"Oh, so we've got a newbie?! It's been awhile since I last saw one!"

"Something like that. They usually don't last this long, though."

"You're right," Cashmere finally murmured in agreement to the curious chatter of Subcon minions around her. "They don't, do they?"

They all knew the answer to that— a rhetorical question didn't often need an answer. Not when it came to the subcontractors (tee, hee-) that came to work for the Snatcher in his forest. And this one was no different.

The day after she'd shown up, Cashmere had found a note on her bedside table. Undoubtedly from her ghostly boss himself, but unlike normal notes she was used to receiving, this one lacked his typical, affably-evil tone. In fact, it was one of the more serious warnings she'd gotten since living there— and for someone who was often treated like a golden girl, naturally the jarring dissonance in the note shocked her.

_Cashmere,_

_I know what you may be thinking if you catch a glimpse of the newest newbie, but I'm telling you this now so that there's no confusion later._

_You are not to have ANY contact with her whatsoever. If it were anyone else I'd allow you your typical little pranks and general mischief, but this one isn't like the others. She's dangerous, untrustworthy, and she's hiding secrets to something that even I can't foresee._

_Stay put and do your own thing while you await further instruction. I'll come to you when we're sure she doesn't pose any kind of threat._

It wasn't signed. Notes like this never were. But nobody else in the forest had the authority to order her around so adamantly, leaving very few others who it could have been.

Now there she was, huddled along with several other of her guardian's minions behind the cemetery, watching in near-silence while the contractor (a tiny little thing similar to Cashmere in height and body type) flung a portrait of a screaming mafia man into flames caused by Fire Spirits.

The small group had to giggle at that, even though none of them were technically allowed to be this close to her. The girl couldn't see them from her vantage point, so what did it matter anyways?

"Y'know, guys," one subconite spoke up. "The more I think about it, when's the last time the Boss employed a kid instead of running them off? I mean, _really?_"

"What do you mean?" Cashmere asked softly, turning inquisitive blue eyes in their direction.

"Well, the thing is," the minion continued. "He's never addressed it directly, but– he's never made deals with another kid before. At least, no human kids that we can remember. They're always driven away before they can get too far inside."

The little girl stared back in response, dumbly. Accompanied by about ten more glowing eyes.

"That's totally different, you were born here!" The subconite tried to make the words sound better. "She's an outsider, but she's just a _kid_. Boss runs any kids he sees out of the forest. What's so different about this one that he has to work her over like the rest of us?"

A collective silence fell over the group at this. But while the other minions kept their cyclop gazes turned on the curious one who'd spoken up, Cashmere's eyes remained locked on the girl doing her chores several paces away…..

* * *

Hours had passed since she and the little group had spied 'n split, but Cashmere's thoughts hadn't yet shifted. The thought of her boss, the great and powerful Snatcher, employing a human kid out of the blue despite the fact that she'd never even seen another child in the forest was strange. Not only that, but the revelation that kids were being driven off without her ever being aware of their presence _at all_ bothered her. Here she'd always suspected it was because other children were too afraid of the woods to go in them, but.. Was it true? Had he REALLY been chasing away any kid who set foot there? And if he was, why was this one being forced to run his errands when he had a perfectly loyal, healthy one right there?

A loyal, respectable little girl who had many a time asked her guardian for a friend to call her own— a REAL one, though. Living, breathing, _human_. Something that the Snatcher had never been able to give her, or so she'd thought.

These questions and more were enough to send her into a stunned silence for the duration of her time alone.

There was always an excuse that prevented him from delivering when she asked about it. Always a reason why he couldn't grant this request. Some days he's too busy, others he just has been too distracted to notice anything outside his tree. Peck, he'd even once told her that he thinks the sunlight outside the woods will melt him if he steps into it for too long. But Cashmere had not yet given up this hope; she hadn't given up on yearning for the one thing that could potentially sate her desire for exploration.

But how could she play THIS one off?

_**"Cashmere? You're terribly quiet," **_the Snatcher probed gently, while the two were sat down for their daily lunch. _**"Shouldn't you be yapping my ear off by now about one of the others falling into the swamp, or some obscure joke that doesn't even make sense?"**_

"Snatcher, why…. Why aren't there ever any other kids around here?"

Silence. The first remotely serious question since she'd asked to be allowed to explore the planet, and it HAD to be this one. A subject he wasn't in the mood to breach with the girl. What was with her and the sudden existential pondering lately?! Was she putting the pieces together? Getting restless? Puberty? It wasn't something he'd been properly trained to deal with, but _she_ wasn't, either. She never had been, but he did what he thought was best with the child, anyways.

That added onto the warnings of the tiny voice inside his head made Snatcher rightfully wary. So he stared, but the look on his face was far from amicable.

_**"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, you forget yourself," **_the ghost replied smoothly, getting up to hover down from his tree and taking the basket of sandwiches with him. Cashmere, without fear or choice, followed him.

"Aside from me. I just… Heard something a bit weird, and it made me curious."

_**"Curiosity has killed cats all over since the world started turning, and you STILL pursue it?" **_Snatcher smirked back over his shoulder. **"_I knew you weren't _**_**that** **wise, kid, but this is something else!"**_

"I'm serious, I just— _happened to notice that_… Well, I've never really seen anyone like me come around here. And you _know_ how long I've been waiting for one."

Here he paused in his shifting thoughts, but didn't cease his pace. The forest ruler had to keep his smooth, indifferent rhythm going, lest she catch on to the fact he _knew_ more than he was letting on.

The moment she did, everything he kept so tightly locked inside his cold, dead heart would be in danger of unleashing. It all started with a question— so why not _answer_ it with a question? Two could play at this game!

_**"Don't you know that there's more than one factor that would keep a whiny outer-brat from entering Subcon, kiddo?" **_Snatcher finally responded, and to emphasize his point, made a sprawling gesture with his hands to indicate just how potent their environment was at first glance. _**"Ummm, HELLO? Giant purple ghost that steals souls? Death swamp? Killer ice? Tree-nooses? Bear traps? Venomous spiders? Condemned outhouses? Dangerous wells that you can fall down and die in? Poison mushrooms? Magic FIRE?** ** Has NONE of that occurred to you, or are you too desensitized to understand how dangerous it is?"**_

…. Perhaps he had a point. And despite herself, a sheepish smile curved her lips upward. All Cashmere could do was shrug, hugging herself while her guardian handed her another sandwich to replace the one that had sat untouched on her plate.

"Well then, can I ask why there's one doing chores for you right now? What's _her_ deal? I know you said in your—"

_**"As far as a friend goes, you're not going to find what you're looking for in ****that** _**_one. You're just not. As I stated before, she's off-limits, and I EXPECT my verdict to be obeyed. Patience is a virtue, child, one which I regret to inform you that you do not possess. I'm an all-seeing, omnipotent eye! Not a miracle worker!"_ **

In seconds, he was laughing again. That echoed, roaring sound of amusement that the girl was long used to by now.

"Don't you KNOW yet, though? If she's as bad as you thought? Didn't you say you'd-"

_**"Cashmere!" **_The Snatcher snapped in a sharp tone. _**"I said it once, I'm not afraid to repeat myself! You're here for your purpose, and she is here for hers! These are completely separate purposes. You're ****mine****; I don't want you meddling in the affairs of my contractors when they're none of your business in the first place, is that understood?"**_

He just… Was determined to circumvent her at every turn, wasn't he? To restrict her movements, to lay claim over who she chose to interact with, to _smother_ her… On one hand, Cashmere wasn't surprised. But on the other, this was the first time she had truly FELT the extent of what she was being made to do. And goodness knew she was feeling the constricting clench of an otherworldly purple snake slowly tightening it's grip around her.

Her face having fallen from her amused smirk from before, Cashmere made a noncommittal noise. Munching her sandwich quietly, and keeping her gaze low to the ground, the small girl silently sealed her fate with a short nod.

"Fine."

* * *

_**So I realized when I went to post the latest chapter that while A03 said I had 10 chapters, said I only had nine. So I went back to look and it turns out I never posted this one... OOPS! **_**😬_I got a new laptop a little bit ago and I guess I just... Spaced? lol. My apologies. I'm posting them both right now to make up for it. Buckle up, though, it's gonna be a bumpy ride👀_**


	10. Ya Got Trouble

Or so she'd thought.

The Walk of Shame to her tree-room was a somber time for her to reflect. And a free moment for her to fret about the stomach ache she now had.

When it came time for her to retreat, Cashmere knew how this would play out. She would spend the remainder of her free time holed up in her bedroom contenting herself with repetition— remaking her bed, or straightening up the minor possessions her boss had allowed her to have. But that was just it… If she re-entered her room without _some_ kind of progress now, the girl was resigning herself to another few days of Routine. Swift and easy, maybe. But boring as well.

And considering all of what had been happening to her lately, Cashmere was far from content with the steady simplicity of what she was used to doing all the time.

But just like there had been a stir in Subcon with the arrival of the mystical hourglasses, Cashmere's steps came to a grinding halt when she heard a funny familiar sound edging closer to the dirt path situated several feet away from her tree.

"Thanks!" A pleased, unfamiliar voice rang out amidst the unmistakable noise of a scooter engine.

Cashmere froze. And when she turned, she was greeted by one hell of a sight.

The new girl. A brown package having been flung from her arms into the grasp of a waiting subconite. But worst of all? Her scooter. _Her_ scooter, being ridden by the newbie herself! Someone who Snatcher had plainly stated that she wasn't allowed to speak with! Immediately the fires of childish rage flared to life in her gut. How was she not being allowed to interact with the contractor fair when Snatcher was apparently completely fine with someone who didn't even LIVE there to use her stuff?! It didn't make any sense!

Before she could stop herself the girl slunk closer from behind, moving from bush, to tree, to stump, to mushroom in a sense of secrecy. Aiming to stalk the newbie, and get a further reading on just what the hell she thought she was doing from a safe distance away. It would have worked, too, if not for the inconvenience of a twig snapping under her boot.

Cashmere gasped. The girl whirled around, startled, and the two locked eyes.

The terse silence didn't last for more than a minute before the newbie spoke up, a feisty sort of note in her voice before she'd even been confronted.

"Okay, I don't know who you think _you_ are, but I've finished this task! I've followed all the rules, I've been busy with stuff ALL day, and I REALLY don't need any more complications right now! So if you're coming at me sideways for something else, I'm not afraid to use this!"

The girl brandished an umbrella like a weapon, pointed at her spy's chest. Bubblegum pink with golden moons all around it. Cashmere stood her ground, but leaned back with her hands at the level of her face so the newbie would step off. It took some time, but she did lower it. And when she did, Subcon's sole human minion crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and unleashed a sassy reply of her own.

"Well, I don't know who gave you the right," Cashmere stated coolly. "But that's my scooter you're riding. I don't appreciate MY stuff being used by newbies that I barely know. Who's bright idea was that, anyways?! I never said anyone could borrow that!"

"That big grinning ghost dude," the newbie shrugged, as if it were obvious. "He told me to deliver mail and gave me a way to do it. But he never said it wasn't his… So while I'm still gonna use it to ride back, I _am_ sorry. I didn't know." A pause. The tension was slowly dissolving, although the other girl was still a tad bit miffed at her stuff being rented out like it was fair game.

Thus, it took Cashmere herself a moment to calm herself to speak in a more polite manner. "I…. _Suppose_ it's okay. Snatcher didn't tell me that he was letting the newbie use my stuff, so I guess that's just something I'll have to talk to HIM about."

She turned to leave, but she was stopped only seconds later by the newbie.

"Wait!… I wouldn't just go marching up to that guy all willy-nilly! ESPECIALLY not if you're complaining about your personal stuff! He'll steal your soul!" The other girl protested, much to the other's bemusement.

Cashmere smirked. "I mean, _yeah_, he's pretty freaky at first, but he's not gonna do that to me. Ground me, maybe, but I'm one of his minions. There's no way he'd go back on our contract. I've lived here my whole life. Hasn't taken my soul once, all he wants is me to stay here and never leave."

The new girl stopped. Tilted her head. And in seconds she was gazing thoughtfully at the forest child, dressed in what she could now recognize as Subcon Forest-esque garb. The oversized purple sweater she wore was the only splash of color in an otherwise onyx ensemble— dark leggings, a knee-length cloak, and black lace-up boots. And with this second glance, the outfit began to look familiar…

_Like the group of beings that had ran past her a while back and knocked her over—_

"You're kidding…. You mean to tell me that.. That THING has you trapped in this forest, contractually obligated to him? What about your parents?! Surely they couldn't have agreed to this!" The girl sounded incredulous, but who wouldn't? Here now she took concerned steps toward the forest child, her magenta eyes all but popping out of her head.

Cashmere shrugged carelessly. "Wouldn't know. Never met 'em. The Snatcher found me in the forest when I was a few months old… He took me in, and raised me as one of his minions. He's my _de facto_ guardian."

The way she spoke… It was a wonder she was so cavalier about something that was tragic and actually quite upsetting at first glance. If she'd been found in the woods as a baby, were her parents somewhere else on this planet? Or worse, had they been—

The other girl shook her head. She wasn't about to debate life circumstances with a stranger. Especially not one she couldn't be sure was on her side. But, she had a job to do. And so far, the forest girl was the only remotely neutral person she'd met on this planet.

"Well, before I go, can I tell you something? It's kind of important, and I could use all the help I could get." From her pocket, the stranger withdrew a glowing hourglass— yes, one of _those_ hourglasses. Cashmere leaned closer to the sparkly, hovering thing with a newfound sense of curiosity than before. The bauble was intricate, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Glittery silver sand trapped in glass, in a shape that reminded her of a figure eight. The glass itself was held in a carefully carved wood frame sporting ornate gemstones and a glowing yellow star in the center of the wood, right by the cinched middle part of the glass.

"What IS that?" She asked the newbie.

"It's a time piece!" Was her reply. "I, uh…. Well, it's a long story, but I lost some all over this planet, and I need them back. It's very important! A few of them dropped into this forest; that's why I'm doing work for that creepy ghost… He's rewarding me with them if I run his errands. And I can't stay the night after this, so I might as well ask around, see if anyone's seen them."

Cashmere considered her words, but at the same time she had to wonder why she hadn't been aware of this… When all was said and done, her eagerness for the whole story from a third party eclipsed her desire to confront her boss again.

For today, at least.

"I'll keep an eye out, but I didn't know about this, so it may be awhile before I can really _look_ for them… But that doesn't mean I can't ask around. I'm sure someone else knows!" Cashmere affirmed with a solid nod. Meanwhile, the friendly scooter-stealer's face upturned from a blank slate to a much more warm smile.

"Thank you… You have no idea what this means to me!" The bow girl said before looking back towards the entrance. "Well, um… Wait! What's your name, in case I need to find you quickly? I'm Bow!"

With this perky introduction, the newbie - this sweet-natured _Bow_ \- offered a hand for her new ally to shake. One which the forest girl gladly took and shook, a tiny smile of her own settling on her lips. _Friends._

"I'm Cashmere," she responded softly, letting go of Bow's hand. "I shouldn't be TOO hard to find— I'm the only human minion in Subcon Forest. And I live right over there!"

A craned arm pointed towards her tree retreat, and Bow couldn't help the awestruck sound she made. Maybe this expedition wouldn't be so hard after all… The other girl seemed lively enough, as well as personable when she warmed up to you. But Bow wouldn't let her guard down completely. Not yet, at least, with how bruised she still felt over Mustache Girl.

"Woah.. _You_ live up THERE?" Bow asked.

"Yup!" Cashmere chirped, shifting her weight from either foot. "That's my room. And when I was little, I wasn't really allowed to _leave_ it. It was only when I signed the contract we have together that he let me go outside. But it's so nice to have my own space… Sometimes I just need time to myself because I'm tired, or I need to get away from _all this_ for a little while. It makes a great place to just shut everything away when it's so…. In-your-face sometimes, y'know?"

Bow stared at her. Not in a bad way, but… She couldn't help the wistful pang her heart felt for this girl. From what Bow knew of her, she had been more or less imprisoned— adoption was one thing, but indentured servitude…? At least that's what it felt like. Not even being allowed to leave, either… That was rough.

"That's… Good, I guess," Bow finally replied. But her inner time clock was quick to tell her it was time to go before she said something she would regret. "It's nice to meet another kid, but I think I need to head out now. That was the last package and time piece Mr. Grim-Grinning-Ghost gave me, and I need to get back to my ship. I have a movie shoot in the morning, and I _really_ can't be late for it."

Cashmere brightened instantly for that. Had she heard correctly? Her new friend was in a movie?! Granted she'd never been able to watch one herself, but she'd heard the Snatcher talk of movie crews who often wandered into the forest— he'd found an actual starlet and DIDN'T tell her?! This was an outrage!

But…. She could deal with that later.

"You're in a movie?!" The girl squeaked perkily in her curiosity. "Like an ACTUAL movie? That's so cool! I've never been able to see one for myself, but I've always wanted to! Can you come back here when you're done and tell me what it's like?"

"Cashmere… You've NEVER been able to see a movie?" Bow asked warily.

"Nope. We don't even have TV here, but it's- not SO bad. Snatcher gives me books to read instead, and they pass the time. But I do wish I could experience it, even just once. If I could just _see_ one, or explore, then I wouldn't be so antsy or fussy all the time."

There was that pang again. Insistent, now, Bow looked at her Subconite ally and gaped. Just GAPED at the circumstances she outlined. A born servant who couldn't even sate her curiosities under the rule of a selfish boss. The sheer eeriness of how isolated it must make her feel was skyrocketing, but Bow didn't necessarily want to stand there and continue thinking about what it meant.

She did, however, want to do something about it. Even if it were small, to do two things. One, to spite the nasty ghost who'd roped her into doing his dirty work. And two, to help this hidden child who clearly didn't have enough experience in life to have any REAL fun.

It was time to lay down the law, and time to show the Snatcher that Subcon wasn't the only place that mattered. And Bow had just met the perfect person to help her send that message.

"... Okay, Cashmere, here's the thing," Bow began again, a more certain note entering her voice. "How about… Would you maybe want to… _Come with me?_ To see what life on the outside is like?"

Her companion's aquamarine eyes widened, but whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was not readily apparent. Not until Cashmere spoke again.

"Me? With _you? Out THERE?!_" The kid questioned, before putting a hand to her chin in thought. "I don't know… The Snatcher would never allow it."

While the two girls stood in silence, waiting for the final answer, Cashmere's thoughts went rushing through her head so fast that she couldn't even stop to consider all the causes and effects whatever she decided would bring.

Stay here? Safe, and out of her boss' firing line, albeit ignorant to the rest of the world.

Go with Bow, even just for a little while? Explore the world, see the sights, _learn_ what she was missing out on, and have just the right amount of closure she needed to live her life to the fullest without regrets.

But… If she did this, would Snatcher be mad at her? Punish her? _Ground her for life—_

Her answer came in the form of her new friend, who must have noticed the concern etched on her face. Bow had reached over to take Cashmere's hands in hers, giving them a comforting squeeze as she spoke soothingly to her.

"Hey… It'll be alright, I'm sure it will! Besides, _I'm_ the one offering. If anyone should get into trouble with that skeevy spook for this, it should be me. And I'll stay by your side in any way I can to keep you out of trouble if that's what it takes to get a leg up on that creep-o. I promise, Cash— hey, wait! You may not be allowed to leave, but think about it. What if one of his contractors was the one who got to _you first?_ What if they were the one who took YOU instead of the other way around?"

There were no further words for a long time. Only two girls smiling at each other widely in realization at the subtle loophole before the one who belonged to Subcon spoke two magic words with a sly grin.

"Do it."

* * *

A few paces away, another of Snatcher's minions wandered closer to the sound of two high-pitched voices.

"Shhh," he heard one whisper. To which the other giggled shrilly before an electrified hum took the place of both.

But he turned the corner and stumbled onto where the source should have been only seconds too late. Instead of the owners of two voices standing there red-handed, the clearing where they'd once stood was as silent and empty as a tomb.

No one in sight.

* * *

_**Prepare for trouble, and make it double!👀👀👀👀**_

_**It's 10:44 PM on a friday night and two gal pals are on their way to paint the mystery planet in the game red!:D**_

_**I'm excited for this now, guys. This is where the rising action intertwines all three of our protagonists. Hnnng, thank you for staying with me on this-**_


	11. Search Party

The Snatcher was positively ROILING in fury.

What had started as a simple mission to retrieve his young charge, for an offer to make up her latest restrictions by group-scaring a wandering mafia man, had quickly turned into something that elicited panic and alarm.

_**"Did you check the bog?!"**_ The king of the forest seethed in fury through clenched teeth.

"Nothing there.. Just the Hands." One subconite noted.

**"_The Ruins? The plains?"_**

"Nope- only fire spirits, and they haven't seen her, either." Another minion chimed in.

Voices all over— and not one of them offered any information that was of help to their search of the Snatcher's human ward.

Cashmere was gone. Whether she'd disappeared while unsupervised or just drifted away when not in anyone's line of sight, nobody knew. But this situation was rapidly snowballing into stress piled on top of MORE stress. What was the Snatcher to do, when he could not even _leave_ his forest without extensive planning and group rehearsals?

_"She's not in the cemetery… We've looked everywhere,"_ MoonJumper sighed from his perch atop the fence surrounding said area. _"She isn't here, and I can't even feel her pulse in the forest anymore like I used to. She must have slipped past us, somehow…"_

_**"But how is that possible?!"**_ The spectral ruler retorted, and launched into doing what he did best— berating his peers. _**"The others, I can understand her bypassing, but YOU? Inexcusable! You can FEEL her when she's here, Moonboy, how were you not able to see any of this coming? How could you fail to detect her moving away towards the edge?!"**_

_"Because I couldn't sense her going anywhere!"_ Moonjumper protested. Which didn't make any sense in this context, considering how his abilities worked. Cashmere was spiritually connected to both him and the Snatcher in ways that were forbidden to so much as think of. But when he began thinking back, retracing his steps, he was quick to realize that what he'd said made complete sense.

_"And… She wasn't. That's the weird thing about all of this, dear Brother. There's no way I would have felt her at the Forest's Edge if she hadn't actually gotten up and walked there herself, or she and the others were playing around there. There was no need to worry about her running away, so I didn't zero in on her exactly. She just– faded, somehow. Snuffed out like a light! But it was around here somewhere, of that I am certain."_

_Facepalm._ There was a considerable beat in the space between their conversation. But Snatcher couldn't rule his verdicts out completely. His "brother"'s sense of direction, as well as his affinity for tracking, were unmatched. Without parallel. This was why he'd assigned him to keep tabs on her position in the first place. Nor did he have any reason to lie, seeing as both he and Subcon's ruler were in the same boat here.

If Moonjumper recounted such a tale of a vanishing human, then by some unknown law of physics that nobody had yet discovered, somehow it had to be true.

_**"Okay,"**_ the Snatcher finally conceded, drifting over to the head of the party to overlook his expansive turf. _**"Tell me again, how did this play out?"**_

Moonjumper nodded, and recounted his perspective of recent events.

_"When all of this happened originally, she was just… Standing over there one minute, the next, she was gone. I know it's bizarre, but… It's almost as if she just blipped right off our map. Vanished into thin air. But how is it possible?"_

This was an answer that the Snatcher could not provide. For once in his incredibly momentous afterlife, the fallen prince did not know where or how to begin. Preparations could not be brainstormed or made due to his lack of experience in this field.

Sure, he'd… Sometimes told the kid to 'get lost!' or some other remark intended to push her away, but he'd never actually MEANT for her to leave his presence. Was this how she really felt about her fearless guardian? Did Cashmere _truly_ think it best if she upped and left, without even so much as a note or telling anybody where she was going?

The possibility of her hating him enough to run away would have made him sick if he could still retained a human stomach.

_**"I.. I lost the kid,"**_ the words came out rattled, and without the typical oomph behind them. _**"I actually LOST the kid."**_

It was confusing. While he hovered there, shocked, his own underlings knew not a bit of their own words of hope and encouragement could pull him out of this. All of them knew the true extent of what Cashmere meant to him; there was no recovering from this.

Or so they'd thought.

_"Look, Brother… I know you despair now, but think of what you have at your disposal."_ Moonjumper began. _"Myself, and a forest chock FULL of eyes to see where you cannot, or explore places that you're unable to reach. You have your family here with you, and we're not going to leave your side until we find her. Or, uh, if you want us to."_

Numerous minions agreed vocally, while others nodded their heads in an act of allegiance to their king.

And even though it wasn't the most grandiose gesture he was used to from his mortal life, the shadow felt a swell of hope twang there in his cold, dead heart.

_**"There is one place we haven't checked..."**_ he eventually spoke up.

Silence. Short gasps filled the air, and with a heavy tilt of his head, Snatcher pointed one lanky arm in a direction that none of them wished to go.

_**"Across the bridge."**_

* * *

Of course nobody wanted to go there, to freeze their undead butts off, or to go poking around for potentially creditable clues in _Vanessa's domain._ It was a double-homicide waiting to happen. NOBODY wanted to risk that, lest she have found some way to eliminate them permanently.

Least of all the Snatcher, yet there he was, leading the pack. He, Moonjumper, and four of his underlings were making the frigid journey into the desolate wasteland, and they didn't know WHAT to expect. All throughout the maze of ice crystals they wound, under ledges, and through tunnels…. But still no sign of Cashmere.

"I think this is a pretty decent hint that she isn't here." Fabio - one of the four minions - declared. Snatcher raised a ghostly brow, silently asking why.

"Well… Aren't humans fragile? Wouldn't she have died as a baby in this cold if you hadn't found her? Why are we checking the Forbidden Zone if Cashmere wouldn't be able to stay here for a long period of time?"

_**"Because there's more to this area than the ice and subzero temperatures,"**_ Snatcher murmured as they neared the exit into her courtyard. _**"And that's the part that worries me most."**_

Everyone was in agreement about exploring the front, seeing as none of them wanted to step onto her front lawn. Sentries posted by the opening also reiterated to the search party that no, Cashmere hadn't come by there. The only thing left to do from there was check the border— the thick, unmelting wall of ice that turned Vanessa's manor into a frozen fortress, and foe the most part, successfully warded off any who thought about trespassing.

Along each curved section of the wall they turned and twisted and explored, searching for something. Risking the unseen eyes of headless statues, and living suits of armor patrolling the grounds. Searching for signs. A hole, an ice pick, or even footprints. Any indication that a human girl had thought to run around here or made an attempt to get inside.

To their astonishment, there was none. Vanessa's domain was sealed tightly as ever, leaving the group back at Square One and, once again, looking to their brave leader for guidance.

Were Snatcher's flames any darker of a blue as they made a hasty retreat, one might think they'd be capable of burning Vanessa's ice to the ground completely.

_**"Where IS that girl,"**_ he snarled lowly to the others. _**"Cavorting about, enjoying everything she so desperately wanted?"**_

None of his allies felt safe answering that question while blue flames licked at his indigo form, writhing like fervent snakes.

_**"All I can say is that she'd better enjoy it while she can. Because I'll be grounding her tiny butt to Kingdom Come if she doesn't show the hell up."**_

* * *

_**Ooooooh, she in troouble**_👀👀👀

_**Tee, hee. It's kind of basic I feel like, but sometimes the action and other events need to balance out so that readers aren't overwhelmed. Here we have Dadcher worrying about his Nipperkin and hoping desperately that he can find her soon! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**_

_**Seeya next week!**_


	12. Beyond my Wildest Dreams

Bow's pulse raced. Sweat beaded on her tiny forehead as she sprinted through the Owl Express, though the fearful apprehension etched on her face was only the tip of the iceberg.

_"Forty seconds until self-destruct! We're doomed!"_ The train's friendly, female voice announced over the loudspeakers. Bow swore in agitation. The word she used was in her native language, and thankfully she had enough restraint to keep it under her breath. The girl's small body careened past one of the bizarro birthday cakes that exploded in a flash of light and smoke if one drifted too far near it. Again she avoided it, and again she wondered just how a train of all things was capable of seamlessly baking birthday cakes to perfection and flinging them all over the place to BLOW UP. The way it felt was akin to an assembly line. Quick, efficient, and shuttled out relentlessly.

Why was she risking herself like this again? Oh, right, _because the Conductor had left her a creepy phone message and kidnapped the girl she'd taken from Subcon Forest. Resident Indentured-Servant-From-Birth, Cashmere. And not only that, but **he'd hidden her somewhere on a train that was now less than thirty seconds away from blowing up. **_

Ooooh, when she got her hands on that bird next, there would be hell to pay!

All she'd wanted to do was help a sheltered girl experience a life she had never been able to live thanks to her overbearing "guardian", the soul-sucking Snatcher. How had the rare, genuine desire she had felt to assist someone on this planet for more than just her primary motives come to something like _this?!_ With fire, and dissonant cheery voices, and owls hooting at her every time she wasted precious seconds even STARING at them?

It was with a resigned sigh through gritted teeth that Bow made a mental note to enforce a contracted policy of her own, moving forward, when it came to working with bird movie directors. Because as it stood now, neither of them seemed to know just how to treat the stars who worked for them.

The chained platform she was standing on swayed unsteadily, prompting Bow to leap forward and scamper her way across another that was slowly sinking into lava. From there was an elevated floor that was home to some spare pons before some more flippy-switches popped up. But while running on them, two cannons fired some none-too-friendly ammo at her. And once THOSE flippy-switches were cleared, a second set popped up. This time with a purple, grinning face that appeared all too eager to watch her topple into the lava below. _'Nyeh heh heh heh heh!'_ the faces seemed to taunt her while she hopped across them, eliciting a hiss from the child. _'Let's see you do this AND avoid cannon fire!'_

Two more sets of panels and three more relentless cannons later, Bow glimpsed salvation at the end of what she could only describe as a demented obstacle course. She had no words for what she'd just endured. The metal grate covering the final landing with the door slid downwards, granting safe passage into the frontmost car— the control center, where the Conductor steered the Owl Express and kept it on track!

A singular orange and yellow button situated under a spotlight's glow was among the first to greet her when she raced into the room. That wasn't all, though— Cashmere herself hovered just above it! Tied up, suspended precariously over the button, and gagged with one of the Conductor's western-style bandannas, the other girl looked like she had seen better days. Her eyes lit up when Bow rushed in to save her, though, bringing a surge of happiness to the young heroine's heart despite their dire situation.

Her morale boosted, Bow leapt through the air. She caught Cashmere and held the bound girl close to her chest, coming to land solidly on the button while the countdown reached its final ten seconds.

_"Nine.. Eight.. Seven…"_ the train's voice intoned calmly, shutting off just as Bow defused the bomb and landed in front of the Conductor with her friend cradled in her grip.

"You made it! And in time!" The bird director declared proudly.

"Are you okay?" The alien asked Cashmere, setting her down.

"Peachy keen," Cashmere beamed as Bow yanked the blue cloth away from her lips. "I was a little freaked out at first, because some owls just took me from your ship in the middle of the night, but I'm fine now! Nobody hurt me."

_Whew._ She was okay. It was over, and they could move on. An exhausted Bow patted the bound Cashmere on the head, and took her place in front of the surprisingly calm Conductor, who stood there with his hands behind his back. And delivered some of the worst words Bow had heard since she'd _arrived_ on this planet.

"Oh ho ho hooo— look at all this raw footage we got!"

….. Bow's eye twitched. The Conductor, who had proudly made a show of putting his foot in his mouth, didn't end there.

"Look at how yer runnin' for dear life while the survival of EVERYONE on the Owl Express - plus the wee damsel we were able to seize before the shoot - rests on _your hands!_ I've never seen this level of professionalism from such inexperienced lasses!"

He seemed so proud of himself. And that was probably the worst part in all of this. While Bow placed her hands on her hips, she was doing everything she could to not just whack this kook of a bird right then and there with her umbrella. Doing so in front of Cashmere, though, that would create an issue she didn't want the other girl to witness so soon. With her willpower restraining her fury, the two were mocked by the glaring red lights of the cameras that surrounded them in the room. But the minute Bow opened her mouth to tell him off—

"That was SO COOL!"

Surprise etched across her face, Bow turned over her shoulder. There stood Cashmere wriggling excitedly in her bonds, her bright turquoise eyes just gleaming. Bow, in concern that she might fall over in her excitement, made quick work of freeing the girl from the ties that held her.

"That was so much _fun,_ Mr. Conductor— I've never even seen a movie before, but being a part of one was something I could've only dreamed of!"

The little girl, in all her black-and-purple glory, flung her arms around the bird in a hug. On the opposite end, Bow's heart twisted. Cashmere hadn't yet seen the killer course Bow had gone through as she'd fought for her life to save them both… But she was _happy._ This isolated, lonely girl had been able to participate in something that until now had been miles beyond her reach.

Experiences like this were something that didn't come practically handed to you like it did for Cashmere. And seeing the pure, radiant _joy_ that was on the younger girl's face… Bow couldn't be completely angry with the Conductor for having her there in this way. She was still more than annoyed that he had to take a gamble with their lives to ensure the "success" of the movie, and she would be for some time, but she could vent about it to her diary later. Cashmere didn't need to know. She didn't need to have her exultation soured like that. Not when she was this thrilled to shreds, and they were out of harm's way..

"Yer welcome, lass," Replied the Conductor, as he gently attempted to pry her from the hug. Despite this, a smile curved his beak as he addressed her. "It was a PERFECT way to introduce yer to the way a movie should be made. Have some bad news for ya, though— an addition this late to any film of mine usually goes on without any credit. The credits are pre-made before the shoot, see, and we can't make any changes to them when there's work to be done on the movie itself!"

"Hey, wait a minute–!" Bow's dormant temper flared. Had he HONESTLY just been so careless as to snub her friend like that? The bird had seemingly been accommodating enough to let the new girl join in on the project— they were still _editing_ even, and there was no chance she'd receive any kind of recognition? The callousness of that statement was aggravating, and Bow wasn't going to be having it!

"Aww, that's okay!" Cashmere interrupted just as Bow was about to deliver one hell of a verbal slap to the director. "To be fair, I'd probably get in trouble if anyone back home figured out I was in it… Just being a part of it was fun enough for me- I'm so happy I could be in an actual MOVIE! And with my bestest friend in the world!"

Her little arms were clinging to Bow seconds later. The Conductor tossed Bow her "pay" — the time piece. And with a slow sigh of relief, she shoved the hourglass in her pocket, and set her grip around Cashmere's shoulders so they could share a proper tender moment after such an event.

"Let's go back to the ship. I'm hungry after all that!" Bow asserted, and teleported them away from the Owl Express, back to a thankfully more safe and relaxing place to be.

* * *

"So tell me again," Cashmere giggled, amused at the not-so-nice language that Bow used to describe her newfound enemy — who else but Mustache Girl? "This girl was delusional enough to think you'd put your home planet's needs on hold so she could borrow YOUR hourglasses, and use them to fix her own life problems?"

The girls were in Bow's AMAZING living room, in two bean bag chairs they'd acquired from her bedroom. Pajamas and soft slippers completed their slumber party attire — Bow in green and blue, and Cashmere in purple and gold.

It was the perfect ending to a wild day, and Cashmere had been staying with Bow now for a little under twenty-four hours. The longest and only time she'd ever been away from Subcon, and it was on a rolicking adventure with the nicest person she had _**ever **_met in her entire life.

It was pure bliss. And the little forest girl didn't want it to end.

"She _was,_ it was awful! She just kept staring, waiting for me to agree.. Then she yelled at me, got up in my FACE, and took half of my pons! Who DOES that?!" Bow ranted, using her vibrant, passionate streak to tell her story. Bonding moments like these meant girl talk, and girl talk meant snickering and gossiping and having the best of times with someone you enjoyed being with!

With Cashmere, there was no need to keep secrets, or deceive her in order to keep herself safe. Bow had been reluctant to tell her what the time pieces were, and what they did, but… She didn't flinch once. She _understood._ Blinked, and made a face picturing someone as foul as Mustache Girl wanting to use them for her own gain. And that was something Bow could welcome with open arms.

"If you need any help, though, I'm right behind you! She sounds like a menace, and I haven't even met the girl." Cashmere grinned, balling her tiny hands into fists and punching the air. More than ready to go up to bat for her friend. "I could use practice. Y'know, in case I ever have to beat someone up?"

Bow nodded resolutely. But as it stood, her promises were a tad bit closer to home-

"Same goes, Cash. I'd do the same thing for you any day! ESPECIALLY when it comes to the Snatcher. I know you said he rescued you, but who's to say he wouldn't turn on you? Or blackmail you? If he ever treated you badly, someone needs to-"

"No! It's not like that!" The other girl protested worriedly. Shaking her head and fervent hand gestures seemed to cool Bow's jets, though, so she slowly continued. "I know he's scary sometimes, but he's never like that with us!"

"Why ISN'T he a problem, though?" Bow frowned. Her brows knit inquisitively, and she made note to tread lightly moving forward. "What happened to your parents that made HIM take you? Come to think of it, how did he explain that whole situation to you?"

"He thinks my parents were in some kind of trouble around the time they had me, and couldn't really do anything about it," The other girl shrugged, just as Cooking Cat came through the door to bring the girls some hot bowls of spaghetti. "He raised me, and has since kept me safe from anything that _could_ hurt me. And in return, I'm one of his minions! I can't really blame him for that. Oh thanks, CC!"

"Any time, sweetie," their culinary cat-friend cooed, rubbing at the top of Cashmere's head. "You girls eat up now and have fun. _I'll_ take care of the kitchen!" Off she went to tackle the monstrosity that was Bow's fridge. Bow turned back to Cashmere, a goofy look on her face while she considered all of what her friend was telling her. She'd met the Snatcher a few times.. He was hardly the caring type. It just didn't make sense.

"I guess it's just weird to me that he acts like that and hurts people, but then turns around and is nice to a stranger.. Tell me he at least doesn't—" Bow cringed, and fell silent. Burying her worries in the spaghetti they were eating was easy enough. She didn't want to assume anything, but she was protective. Who's to say her friend wasn't being-

"What? Oh, no, don't worry! He doesn't beat me or anything. I've been punished before, but it's only with more chores. Or he tickles me a bit if he thinks I'm being too fussy." Cashmere responded, then kicked her slipper-clad feet a bit so she could stretch out in the beanbag. A few more bites into her spaghetti, and eventually she found herself contemplating her guardian. And the nature of their relationship.

The Snatcher was everything Bow claimed he was — rude, demanding, ruthless. And with a distinct disregard for everything and everyone unlucky enough to wander into his forest and trespass. He took lives, not saved them. And yet…

"When you get to know him, he.. He's actually kind of sweet," Cashmere spoke up after devouring more of the warm food.

"I may be some random minion, but honestly I never really _felt_ like one. It just feels like this mutual thing we do for each other. He takes care of me, and I pitch in around Subcon for him. He never asks me to do dangerous jobs, or hurt anybody. In fact, I think.. I actually think he's lonely, Bow."

The other girl tilted her head. "Lonely? How's that?"

"It's weird, but he told me a while ago that I had _life,_ and that's why he keeps me around. He's never even let me near the nooses like he does the others. As odd as it sounds, I think me being there is helpful in more ways than chores and ground work is. It's… Like I'm his friend." Cashmere told her. It was the first time she'd vocalized this theory of hers, and it felt peculiar doing so, but she didn't regret it.

Bow bit her lip. As awful as hearing about Cashmere's circumstances were originally, she wasn't wrong in feeling this way. Cashmere claimed that he'd never harmed her— and in truth, she was in damn near-perfect condition. Not a scratch on her. If the Snatcher intended to use and abuse her like his reputation said he did to others, why would she be so chipper about her living situation? The pieces of this particular puzzle were foggy and difficult to process. But Bow would much rather do her friend this service and make her happy than to question every small bit of the other girl's life. And potentially meddle in something she may be overreacting to.

"You might be onto something.. It's fishy, but I won't blow the lid off this thing if you don't want me to. You're in one piece, which is more than I can say for the others he-" Realizing her mistake, Bow trailed off. She kicked herself mentally and clammed up, lest she end up on the receiving end of his wrath should the girl figure it all out!

"Huh?" Cashmere hadn't even seemed to hear it. She'd been so engrossed in her spaghetti at that point, wanting to finish it before it got cold, that she'd gotten some stray sauce around her mouth. A distraction!

"Nothing, you just look funny.. Here, stay still," Bow chuckled, grateful to find an alternate subject, and set to retrieving some napkins so she could help her friend. From there she tilted Cashmere's head back by her chin and dabbed at the sauce. All the while the younger girl squirmed a bit, trying to wriggle backwards.

"Mnnngh- I can do that myself," Cashmere fussed, grumbling under her breath until Bow was done. Come to think of it, they both had finished their spaghetti at that point. She discarded her bowl after a deep inhale, and wandered over to the big window at the front of the ship to look over the planet below. Bow trailed behind her after putting the bowls and silverware back in the kitchen, and rested her hand on Cashmere's shoulder. But to Bow's surprise, her face had morphed into something forlorn and confused.

_"I don't wanna go home.."_ Cashmere sighed softly. Sadly, as if she could sense how close the end of their adventure was. "Not yet, at least.. The second I go back, I'll never get another chance to experience this again.."

Bow pulled her into a hug from the side, and Cashmere rested her head on her friend's shoulder for comfort. Her blue eyes never left the window. All at once, Bow knew a perfect way to perk her up.

"I know we're in our pajamas already, Cashmere… Is there any chance you'd want to spend another night up here? I have one more shoot in the morning before the awards. You should come with me— DJ Grooves is a fun director to work with, too! He'd definitely let you be in his film!"

_Finally,_ the other girl's face softened. She raised her head, a soft smile taking the place of her longing. They would deal with Subcon later. For now, jubilation took hold. Two movies in the span of 48 hours! Cashmere could have squealed happily.

"I get to be in TWO movies… I finally have a friend after waiting my whole life for one… Am I the luckiest girl in the _world,_ or what?"

"If you think THIS is cool, just wait till you see where we're going tomorrow," Bow grinned, and clasped Cashmere's hands to lead her away from the window. Back to her bedroom, so they could get their sleeping area set up for their sleepover. "Cooking Cat, can we please have some buttered popcorn? I think we're gonna turn in for the night soon here!"

"Of course, dear! I'll bring it in when it's ready!" The feline called back. The girls ran, giggling, back to Bow's room. Happy as could be, they elected to have fun while they could. After all, their time together wasn't done _yet!_

* * *

_**WHY HELLOOOOOO THERE! It's been some time since I've posted, and for that I'm sorry. When I started this story, I promised myself that I wouldn't just up and disappear. And truth be told, I don't really know why I did. Maybe this chapter was somewhat tricky to work through? Maybe I was stuck on how to proceed? I have no clue. But partially because I finally bought AHIT for my switch and am playing it and getting back into the swing of things, it's here now! And I made it a bit longer and more wholesome than what I've been putting out previously as an apology to you guys. So I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_


	13. Land of Yesterday

**Subcon Forest.**

**Time Period: **_**Six years ago.**_

**Current Time: 11:47 PM.**

* * *

Rain, when by itself, was typically welcomed in Subcon by most as a relaxing and pleasant weather condition. Especially at night, when the forest sounds mixed in with the pattering raindrops to create a steady, lulling ambience. Dwellers didn't take to it much unless they had leaves or some other form of shelter to hide under, but other than that they didn't mind it.

Weather like that could ease anyone into a calm slumber, even if 99% of Subcon's population didn't require sleep anymore. One factor remained a constant, however. The majority (sans Snatcher) agreed in full that it was only when lightning and thunder accompanied rain that the weather became a problem. Like tonight for example, in the midst of one hell of an angry storm!

The king of the forest sat in his chair, his tree illuminated only by the lightning and fluorescent mushrooms surrounding his nook. He enjoyed thunderstorms, mainly due to the booming being something to practice his theatrical evil laugh and yelling against. It was easy enough to build himself up in this way when the weather wasn't angry, but the wind and the chaos made it _fun._ A thrill even, to stand at his door, throw his ghostly head back and scream at the heavens. To vent his rage, when nobody was around, and the veil of nightfall left the true pinnacle of his fury to the imagination of anyone who heard it.

The effect was downright eerie, but they understood. If his minions had the capacity for more than a fraction of the wrath he so often felt, they'd probably be doing the same thing. Their souls had passed differently, though. They lacked the yearning, and the vengeance that fueled him. While they had found solace, togetherness, and eventually acceptance in being part of a group, they had Went quickly. Snatcher was alone in the fact that he had died slowly. In agony and darkness, with the circumstances of his demise playing over and over again in his mind as he slipped wretchedly into another plane of existence.

* * *

_"V-Vanessa, wait! You don't understand, please let me explain!"_

_"Leo… My Prince… I SAW you. You knew my concerns. Our love had been fruitful; you knew this, and still you strayed? How am I to ever trust you again?"_

_"How can you say that?! I was bringing these home for you! How can you believe—"_

* * *

"SNAAAAAAATCHEEEEEEEEER!" A shrill voice bawled against howling wind, snapping the spirit out of the faded memory ringing in his mind. Snatcher tilted his head, inquisitive, and listened. It hadn't been a minion; he didn't see any singular golden eyes lit up in the darkness. What he _did_ see slinking around in the cold storm, though, may or may not have been far worse.

A small form, sprinting down the path. And it was only when the lightning flashed that he saw the fearful expression. The rain — or tears? — streaming down her little face.

_**"Cashmere..?" **_Snatcher asked himself as the soaked four-year-old tripped on her sprinted way up to his tree.

Cashmere plunged herself forward, very nearly slipping unceremoniously on a damp root on the way up. She lay there on the root for a moment, struggling like a drowning kitten. The sight was honestly.. Somewhat pathetic. But as her boss-slash-guardian, he had made an executive decision not only to keep her alive, but safe.

Squinting inquisitively, the specter plucked the girl up off the root and drew her inside to warm up from the bitter cold of the rain. Cashmere clutched to his form straightaway, curling up as tightly as her little body would allow. He cradled her closer to his chest; and when he did, the Snatcher could feel her shivering.

_**"What are you doing out of bed, Cashmere?" **_He asked her, a deep note of Parental Seriousness seeping in. _**"You're aware that you need to go to sleep when I put you in your new room, aren't you? That was our agreement."**_

"I-I can't," she cried. Blue eyes brimming with tears, she looked like she'd just waded through the _Subcon Well_ to find him! That didn't help him trying to resist letting her stay here, either. "There's a monster outside.. Something is trying to get in.."

_**"An intruder, you say? In MY forest?! How dare it trespass in my sanctum! Thank you for telling me, child. Come on, we need to pinpoint its location so we can chase it away!" **_With a level of command befitting a knight riding into battle, the ghost made sure to shield the small child he held from the storm before "jumping" from his tree and _whooshing_ off into the night. All the way back to Cashmere's own area he went, going around dilapidated buildings and trees and looping through their gnarled branches with ease. It was a manner much like a roller coaster, and it was very much intentional on his part.

See, Snatcher knew full well that there was no trespasser. He would have been able to take care of them quickly and easily, well before Cashmere knew of their presence, and way before she'd run and alert him of them. But the child would not give this up until she could be absolutely sure "it" was gone. The easiest way to deal with moments like these, when her fear took on a form he couldn't control, was to show her that he would listen to her fears, and do something about them. If he listened to her, she would listen to him when the time came that the "monster" was nowhere to be found. An easy enough give-and-take when it came to both bonding with his sole human minion and training her to do her best.

_**"Where did you see the intruder, Cashmere?" **_He asked gently, scoping out the land around her tree like a leopard on the hunt.

"A shadow.. Through my window.. The lightning lit it up, and I saw it moving over there." The little girl replied. She herself scanned the area warily, instinctively to point it out to Snatcher if it pounced on them.

_**"Okay. Now, since we haven't begun your formal training in instances like this, I'm going to put you back into your room while ****I** **find and handle it." **_Snatcher nodded, and hovered up to the landing. _**"Can you be a good girl and wait patiently for me? I need you to be brave for us both."**_

His golden eyes gazed unblinkingly into her bright turquoise ones. It took her some hesitation, too, but eventually Cashmere nodded and allowed the Snatcher to open her door and shapeshift smaller to put her back to sit on her bed.

_**"Thank you. I'll be back momentarily. Do NOT open this door for anybody but me, do you understand?"**_

With Cashmere's silent agreement, the Snatcher shut her door and set about acting like he was looking for the "night prowler". Undoubtedly she was peering through the window to watch his progress. And rather than appearing apathetic to her plight, he had to see this through to the end.

_**"You've NOWHERE to hide, Fool! You've been spotted, and you're going to regret ever setting FOOT HERE!" **_The ghost bellowed sharply. He "looked" in bushes and behind large rocks, peered under mushrooms and examined the ice crystals. A few minutes of this, some quick turns here and there, and he was certain he looked convincing. Especially with the fierceness of the rainstorm around them to add to the spooky effect.

Eventually, though, it was time to wrap it up. He'd made a promise, and while he intended to keep it, he couldn't spend all night dilly-dallying and keeping Cashmere awake. In this way, the Snatcher pointed at an unseen "enemy" in the blackness, and whooshed off in the direction he pretended to see them.

_**"THERE YOU ARE! You think you can hide from me?! I RULE this forest! You've disturbed the peace, and upset my minions! Now FEEL MY WRATH AND SUFFER FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!" **_The Snatcher roared, and blasted a heavy flare-up of his powers that appeared to billow out near the entrance to Subcon Village. A spectacular show-off of fire - witnessed by other minions in stunned silence - that would have been more than enough of a deterrent even if there HAD been an intruder!

While the others whispered amongst themselves, though, Snatcher floated his leisurely way back to Cashmere's room. He re-adjusted his size once more before knocking on the door.

_**"Kiddo? It's me. Can I come in?" **_He asked her, and waited patiently for her reply.

"Please do!" Cashmere chirped brightly from inside. Snatcher complied, only to earn a small ball of four-year-old to his nonexistent knees as the girl thrust herself at him in a hug of gratitude.

"Is it over? Is the monster gone?" Cashmere whimpered. The ghost let his claws play a bit with her damp hair.

_**"All gone, kid. We're safe now. You did the right thing in alerting me, I was able to run them out in time. They could have hurt you, me, or anyone else here. But they didn't. You're learning fast, Cashmere, you'll need to keep this up to do a good job as my minion!" **_A mix of praise and encouragement to keep improving was just his style. Not too sappy, and not too stern. And it seemed to work well on her, especially at such a tender, impressionable age as this. Cashmere smiled softly in the dark, and she didn't protest when being taken to bed for the second time this night.

"Snatcher.." she started softly whilst being tucked in. This time with extra-warm blankets to dry her as well. "Can you please stay here until I fall asleep? The thunder still scares me a little bit."

Ordinarily he would've flat-out refused. Not only did he have business of his own to attend to, but he didn't actually owe her anything. But… even now, looking back at how helpless and scared she had been at the storm, and the idea of a prowler coming to hurt them all, it didn't feel right. Rejecting her plea for comfort to further soothe herself, even if he was exercising detachment to her, didn't feel like the correct move to make in this situation.

The Snatcher sighed heavily. Attachments were dangerous. They did little but hurt one in the end, why had he retained his "softie" tendencies from life?! And why now, even when faced with the constant reminder of the day his life was ruined, did he want to indulge the child? He wanted to find what little kindness he still had and rip it out, but Cashmere still awaited an answer.

_**"You know I'm not normally one for bending the rules, Kid… I'm trying to raise you to be useful and independent, not to be selfish. However, considering the circumstances, I'll allow it." **_From the open air materialized his comfy seat, angled right at her bedside. Snatcher sat down, book in one hand (also from out of thin air), and rubbed at her shoulder to ease Cashmere back into sleep.

The rain continued to patter, but by now the angry booming and crashing accompanying it had subsided. Now the thunder rumbled gently in the distance, in a fashion much more ambient and easier to sleep to than before.

_**"Just this once.. Go back to sleep, Cashmere. I'm not leaving your side." **_The Snatcher told her resolutely. Eager to please, his young minion followed his orders. One yawn later, and she was off on her way to Dreamland in half a minute.

She looked so innocent and frail-looking when she slept. This, in tandem with his own feelings towards her and the fate that linked them together, made it VERY hard for him to just up and leave her after she fell back asleep. He would have thought it safe to at least move back if she didn't reach out suddenly with her little, grabby hands and snared his ghostly wrist. That right there sent a nice, clean crack through his chest. Yep, it was where his heart would've been if he still had one.

It was _hard,_ being rough with her. It always would be. He knew who she was. That fact was never going to change. And getting up and leaving at risk of Cashmere waking up, figuring out his ploy, and feeling WORSE was not a gamble he was willing to make.

The Snatcher stayed put. He was set to sit there with her all night.

_**"I'm not going anywhere, kid.."**_

* * *

**Subcon Forest.**

**Time Period: **_**Present Day.**_

**Current Time: 5:01 PM.**

* * *

_"She's drawing nearer, Brother,"_ Moonjumper's voice broke his thoughts, the memory - and the tiny Cashmere in it - fading away to reality.

The patchwork entity and his spectral counterpart currently stood at the edge of Subcon Village. Surrounded by the minions who'd aided them in the search for their wayward child; everyone had gathered. The moment Moonjumper had caught a hint of her soul drifting closer from far outside the forest, he'd assembled the others there for a status report.

_**"In one piece?" **_Snatcher asked carefully.

_"She appears to be perfectly fine. In fact, she seems more lively than ever, that's why I was able to detect her from that far away. My senses aren't indicating any major injuries, either,"_ Moonjumper confirmed.

The question still remained, though. _How_ had she gotten out..? And without anyone seeing her? Why had she stayed away for so long? And was she aware of just how BAD this was for her to have done?

The sheer fact that she'd managed to sneak out at all was slowly starting to infuriate him. Relief that she was still alive was definitely there, but it was being contrasted by his anger at her sheer AUDACITY to have left at all. Cashmere knew and acknowledged the terms and conditions on a daily basis; the urge for rebellion should never have happened!

_**"Well, I don't know about any of you, but ****I ****need to re-work some details of the kid's contract for when she gets back," **_Snatcher eventually brought up. _**"She left, and that was a direct violation of our current one."**_

There were no words of protest against this from anyone, seeing as not leaving the forest was a universal rule, and it had only been Cashmere with a desire to see the outside of it. She had done wrong, pure as her intentions were, and would need to be punished accordingly.

A smile, concealing thinly-veiled ire, twisted the specter's mouth up from its frown. Default Snatcher was _back,_ and more than ready to go toe-to-tail with his prodigal daughter of sorts. She would be back soon. Two could play at this game!

He said only one more thing before he disappeared back to his tree to plan his next move.

_**"Even if I ****am** **mad at her… It'll be so nice to see my little girl again!"**_

* * *

**Hey guys! I've actually had the first part of this written for some time, but rl got in the way again:/ in this case my darling dog that I've had since I was a kid passed like a week after I posted the last chapter for this story. He was much loved, so trying to get back on a steady track has not been easy for me. Thank you for your patience, I love you guys a lot ;0;**  
**Also on other notes, Snatcher finally gets a name! :D**


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